We trust that after years of education and training, the doctors, nurses, surgeons and other medical professionals who care for us when we are ill or injured know what they are doing. For the most part, medical professionals in Houston meet their duty of care to their patients. However, they are not perfect, and mistakes are sometimes made. When a medical mistake is made due to the negligence of the medical practitioner at issue, it could lead to plaintiff litigation.
In general, there are several types of medical malpractice to be aware of. For example, mistakes can be made during surgical procedures. The surgeon could operate on the wrong body part or leave an instrument in a patient. These mistakes could alter a person’s life forever, leading to a worsened medical condition, pain and suffering and other problems.
Another common mistake is the withholding of necessary treatment or a failure to treat. This can take place if the medical professional has a heavy workload. They might diagnose a problem, but then they do not treat it or fail to refer the patient to a specialist if necessary.
A third common mistake is a misdiagnosis. This could lead to a worsened condition, as the patient is not receiving the care needed to address the true problem. While many people understand that a sick person could be misdiagnosed, even healthy people could be diagnosed with an illness they do not have, which could affect their long-term health.
These are only some types of medical malpractice that could lead to plaintiff litigation. However, claims based on medical malpractice can be complex. Proving a medical professional was negligent often necessitates obtaining the opinions of experts. Attorneys understand what is necessary to pursue a medical malpractice claim and may be a useful resource.