Medical malpractice is a type of personal injury that is caused when doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals make errors in the course of a patient’s care. These mistakes, which can result from many situations, including poor judgment, negligence, and overworked/understaffed facilities, are unacceptable and often punishable by law.
Reports show that five to ten percent of patients who are admitted to hospitals will fall victim to medical negligence, whether in the form of surgical mistakes, wrong prescriptions, birth injuries, or other types of errors. In fact, up to 98,000 people die yearly from preventable medical errors. At Iannella & Mummolo, we are dedicated to getting you the compensation you deserve if you were injured as a result of medical negligence.
If you feel that you or a loved one has been a victim of medical malpractice, you may be eligible to file a personal injury claim. Contact our office today to see if our staff of highly qualified Massachusetts personal injury lawyers can help with your case.
It is important to file your medical malpractice claim as soon as you become aware of the personal injury. The statute of limitations varies from state to state. Therefore, it is vital to contact one of our experienced personal injury attorneys today.
Types of Medical Malpractice Cases and Claims
Medical malpractice covers a wide variety of injuries suffered at the hand of a physician, surgeon, nurse, hospital, medical laboratory, clinic, dentist, or other type of medical provider.
Some of the most common medical malpractice cases and claims include:
- Surgical errors
- Cancer misdiagnosis
- Prescription errors
- Anesthesia errors
- Birth complications
- Misread diagnostic tests
- Faulty blood transfusions
- Hospital/emergency room negligence
- Failure to provide appropriate treatment
- Treatment delays
Informed Consent and Medical Malpractice
For most increased-risk procedures, such as organ transplants, medical professionals require patients to sign consent forms prior to surgery. These consent forms prove that the patients were cognizant of the inherent risks prior to their procedures. However, if medical professionals provide substandard care, they are not authorized to fall back on these informed consent forms. For example, if a patient undergoing liposuction dies because her doctor failed to catch an infection, the doctor can still be found guilty of medical malpractice or negligence, even if the patient had signed a consent form. If you signed a consent form for a medical procedure, but were injured because of your medical professional’s mistake, you may still be eligible to file a malpractice claim.
If you believe that you or a loved one has been a victim of medical malpractice, contact us today.