Malpractice in the medical field refers to any act of negligence or carelessness on the part of a healthcare provider that results in harm or injury to a patient. Essentially, medical malpractice occurs when healthcare professionals fail to provide appropriate and expected treatment to their patients or engage in improper conduct that falls below the professional medical standards.
Examples of medical malpractice include:
- Misdiagnosis
- Failure to diagnose
- Surgical errors
- Medication errors
- Improper treatment
- Failure to obtain informed consent
- Mishandling of medical instruments
- Leaving foreign objects inside a patient's body
- Delaying treatment
Any of these acts can cause serious harm or even death to a patient.
Medical malpractice claims are generally brought as civil lawsuits against healthcare providers, including doctors, nurses, surgeons, and hospitals. In order to successfully pursue a medical malpractice claim, the plaintiff must establish that the healthcare provider's conduct was below the standard practice of care and that it was the cause of the injury or harm suffered by the patient.
It is important to note that a bad or undesired outcome does not necessarily mean that malpractice occurred. Not all unfavorable outcomes in medical treatment can be attributed to the healthcare provider’s negligence or misconduct. An unfavorable outcome due to inherent risks of the procedure or underlying medical conditions cannot be considered malpractice unless it was caused by a deviation of the standard of care.
If you believe that you have suffered harm or injury as a result of medical malpractice, you should contact an experienced medical malpractice attorney as soon as possible to evaluate your case. The statute of limitations for medical malpractice claims varies by state and can range from as little as one year up to six years.
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