When you go to see your doctor about a medical condition, you expect that you’ll receive an accurate diagnosis and proper treatment. Unfortunately, though, this doesn’t always happen, and when a physician’s negligence causes you harm, your main recourse may be a medical malpractice claim.
There are many different types of medical malpractice claims. Here are some of the most common types (note that such claims require proof that the doctor being sued acted in a manner that was inconsistent with a reasonable level of skill and care):
- Errors in diagnosis or failure to diagnose. An accurate diagnosis is very important as it forms the foundation of a proper treatment plan. Errors in diagnosis can be the result of a diagnosis that’s made too late – a delayed diagnosis – or a misdiagnosis, a diagnosis that’s inaccurate.
- Inappropriate or improper treatment. This type of claim is related to the treatment your physician chooses for you and includes things like prescription errors, providing the wrong treatment, and improper administration of a correct treatment.
- Obstetric claims. Malpractice claims related to the childbirth process include many types of birth injuries, such as cerebral palsy, brain damage and death. Negligent physician conduct may arise from a number of factors, such as the improper prescribing of medication for either the mother or the infant or the incorrect use of vacuum or forceps during delivery.
- Failure to obtain informed consent. When a doctor proposes a course of treatment, he or she has a duty to disclose to patients the risks that are associated with the medical procedure in question. A medical malpractice claim may arise if it can be shown that a patient would not have consented to a procedure if he or she had known of the risks.
If you or a loved one has been injured as a result of medical malpractice and are seeking a qualified medical malpractice attorney, contact Los Angeles doctor-turned-lawyer Bradley I. Kramer for a free consultation today.