Medical malpractice can occur in different ways.  Some of the commonly seen types of malpractice are:

• Surgical errors: A medical professional might make a mistake during a surgery such as operating on the wrong body part, puncturing an organ or blood vessel, or leaving surgical tools inside the patient.
• Misdiagnosis: If a condition is misdiagnosed, it could lead to medical treatment that would be inappropriate or harmful to the patient. It could also potentially lead to unnecessary progression of a disease left untreated.
• Birth injuries: Doctors, nurses, and midwives can directly or indirectly contribute to a baby’s injury if they do not strictly adhere to the high standards of care. Although most delivery complications occur for reasons other than medical errors, medical malpractice is responsible for devastating injuries to babies and mothers.  For more information regarding birth injuries, please visit our birth injuries page.
• Failure to diagnose: Failure to diagnose a condition can lead to a delay in treatment that may have halted further progression of the disease or condition. Often, cases involving failure to diagnose involve but are not limited to various forms of cancer, diabetes, strokes, and heart attacks.
• Medication errors: The most common medication errors occur when a doctor prescribes the wrong dose of a medication. A doctor may also cause harm to a patient by prescribing the wrong medication, failing to notice a contraindication or medication allergy, or failing to notice a dangerous drug interaction.  Pharmacists can also make errors in filing out the patient’s prescription.
• Anesthesia errors: Anesthesia errors often lead to devastating injuries.  Even a slight miscalculation by an anesthesiologist, for example, can cause permanent brain damage or death.