We seek the assistance of medical professionals in our time of greatest need, and most doctors provide the utmost care for their patients. Yet, thousands of individuals are injured or become even sicker due to the negligence of medical professionals each year. Hundreds of Georgia patients file complaints involving serious medical errors annually and many of these errors result in death. The true number of medical malpractice cases is predicted to be much higher, as many, if not most instances of medical malpractice in fact go unreported. Most patients or the family members of deceased patients never recognize medical malpractice as the cause of their illness.

Medical Malpractice is More Common than Most Realize

According to the National Practitioner Data Bank, 364,000 medical malpractice lawsuits were filed between the years 2004 and 2014. About 154,621 of these cases resulted in payment to the survivors, while many more resulted in adverse actions against the providers.

Common Errors that Lead to Medical Malpractice Lawsuits

While any error that fails to meet the standard of care can result in serious injuries, some forms of medical malpractice are more common than others. Here are some of the most common medical errors that lead to lawsuits:

  1. Operating on the wrong patient: Lost paperwork, failing to identify the patient’s identity or placing incorrect information on the patient’s chart can result in a surgical team operating on a patient that came to the hospital to receive a different procedure.
  2. Operating on the wrong part of the body: Patients never expect to go under surgery and have the wrong body part operated on, but this error does occur. When the surgical team does not adequately specify what part of the body needs attention or if paperwork is mixed up, serious errors can result.
  3. Surgical items left behind: This is one of the most common errors, though new technologies are working to reduce the incidence of surgical or other items left inside patients. Many tools are used during an operation and if physicians fail to use sufficient care, these tools could be left behind.
  4. Misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis: Providing a patient with the right treatment depends upon the medical team knowing what they are treating. When a physician diagnoses a patient incorrectly and then the patient receives the wrong treatment, he or she could become far sicker. Delaying the correct diagnosis can similarly have devastating results.
  5. Birth injuries: Mistakes made during child birth can have long term consequences for the child or mother. Medical errors can lead to cerebral palsy, seizure disorders and other lifelong injuries for the child.

Montlick and Associates, Attorneys at Law: Put Our Over 39 Years of Experience to Work on Your Medical Malpractice Case!

If you have been injured due to the negligence of a medical professional or have lost a loved one from medical negligence, contact the Georgia Medical Malpractice Attorneys at Montlick and Associates, Attorneys at Law. Our firm assists medical malpractice victims across Georgia and in the Southeast. We bring over 39 years of experience to your medical malpractice case and strive to provide you with the dedicated and knowledgeable representation you need to obtain the best possible outcome. The sooner you act after your injury or the loss of your loved one, the greater your chances of obtaining a full recovery. As such, it is important that you seek the assistance of a licensed lawyer as soon as possible. Call Montlick & Associates, Attorneys at Law, 24 hours a day/7 days a week for your Free Consultation at 1-800-LAW-NEED (1-800-529-6333). You can also visit us online at www.montlick.com and use our Free Case Evaluation Form or 24-hour Live Online Chat.

Source:
http://www.npdb.hrsa.gov/resources/npdbstats/npdbStatistics.jsp