Six Common Medical Errors and Mistakes

Medical providers are educated, highly trained people and we trust them with our health.  Unfortunately, medical mistakes and errors are common. When they occur, they can have major impacts on patients. At The Weitz Firm, LLC., our Philadelphia medical malpractice attorneys provide trusted legal representation victims and their families can count on in these cases. We hold those at fault accountable and help you get the compensation you are entitled to in a medical malpractice claim. Read more about six common types of medical mistakes and what to do if they happen to you or someone you love.

Common Medical Mistakes and Errors

People put doctors, nurses, and other medical providers on pedestals but they are only human and may make mistakes. Unfortunately, medical errors are a leading cause of death in the nation, claiming the lives of between 200,000 and 400,000 people each year.

Whether attending doctor visits, having procedures performed at outpatient facilities, or getting in-depth treatment at a Philadelphia-area hospital, patients and their families need to bear in mind the risks. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the six most common medical mistakes and errors are:

1. Adverse drug events: This involves providing patients with the incorrect type of medication, not prescribing the right dosage, and failing to consider allergies or drug interactions.
2. Infections: Common in hospitals and other advanced care settings, infections can result from leaving catheters and intravenous lines in too long, not regularly changing wound dressings, or a lack of proper sanitation practices.
3. Medical misdiagnosis: This can result from not allowing enough time for patient visits, overlooking serious symptoms, not ordering the appropriate tests, and misreading or making mistakes in recording results, all of which can cause dangerous delays in treatment and adverse outcomes for patients.
4.  Obstetrical adverse events: This includes failing to properly monitor the pregnancy, not screening mothers for conditions that could adversely affect the developing fetus, or providing the appropriate interventions during delivery.
5. Surgical errors: Wrong site, wrong procedure, and wrong-patient errors are common, as are simple mistakes, such as not removing surgical sponges.
6. Slips and falls: Patients can suffer serious personal injuries when not monitored, provided assistance, or warned about mobility issues after procedures.

When Medical Mistakes and Errors Happen

Medical errors and mistakes can have life-threatening consequences. Even if not immediately fatal, they can hasten an early death or cause lasting health impacts, including long-term disabilities.

When medical mistakes and errors happen due to the negligence of medical providers, our legal team holds them accountable. Medical providers who may be liable include:

• Doctors;
• Nurses;
• Specialists;
• Diagnostic technicians;
• Surgeons;
• Hospital administrators and staff.

The Pennsylvania Statutes allows up to two years after an incident or after discovering injuries to file a medical malpractice claim.

Schedule A Meeting With Our Philadelphia Medical Malpractice Attorney

Medical mistakes and errors can have major impacts on your health. At The Weitz Firm, LLC., we have decades’ worth of experience helping clients hold at-fault providers accountable. Call or contact our Philadelphia medical malpractice attorneys online to schedule a meeting today.