Medical Negligence Assistance

3 Types of Medical Negligence

Seek medical negligence assistance if you have suffered injury and damages directly related to the actions of a healthcare professional who had a duty of care towards you. Although thousands of examples of medical negligence can be given, each one falls within a broader category.

Three of the most common types for which you should seek legal assistance to determine whether or not you can claim damages for the injury suffered includes the following:

Surgical Errors

Although thousands of surgeries are performed daily without incident, mistakes do happen. A health professional tasked with giving assistance may forget a surgical instrument in the body or the wrong dosage of anaesthetics may be given. Not all surgical mistakes lead to permanent damage, death, or severe injury. Some mistakes are corrected without the incidents causing harm to the patients. However, a mistake made during surgery because of negligence, which is then directly related to the injury and pain that the patient suffers, is cause for concern. Examples range from the wrong body part amputated to scars from incorrect procedures during cosmetic surgery.

Misdiagnosis

The medical professional relies on the information provided by the patient, the patient’s previous medical history, visual and diagnostic examinations, the results of tests and their training and experience to make a correct diagnosis. If misdiagnosis leads to the harming of the patient, then it is important to seek legal assistance regarding the steps to be taken against the health practitioner.

Prescription or Administration of the Wrong Medication

The healthcare professional may have instructed administering a specific dosage of medication, but the healthcare worker aiding in the care of the patient may have administered the wrong dosage. The question is who is responsible? In this regard, it is particularly important to seek legal assistance to ensure legal steps are taken against the correct party. Nursing staff members working in a hospital are employees of the hospital company and the hospital is thus also responsible for the standard of care to be given to patients.

Wrong medication, incorrect dosage, or failure to administer the medication according to the correct procedures can lead to patient injury or even death. Examples of negligence range from:

• the prescription of medication to which the patient has a proven history of being allergic to a substance in the medication;
• overprescription of medication;
• the wrong dosage;
• the incorrect period prescribed for using the medication;
• incorrect administering of the medication; and
• the wrong medication.

What to Do

Other forms of medical negligence also exist, including failure to provide healthcare services to a patient where there is a clear duty of care resulting in the injury of the patient, failure to get informed consent for a procedure and more.

When you or someone you love has or is still suffering due to the negligence of a healthcare professional, it will be in your best interest to seek medical negligence assistance from an experienced attorney. For more information regarding this matter, get in touch with Adele van der Walt Incorporated.

Disclaimer: Information in this article is not intended as legal advice and is only for informational purposes. Please seek legal guidance from Adele van der Walt Incorporated before relying on this information to make any legal decisions. January 2021

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