All medical professionals owe a proper standard of care to their patients. This means that any medical professional can be held responsible for acting negligently. If a medical professional fails to provide a standard of care for their patients, resulting in significant damages, it is possible for them to be sued for medical malpractice.
Continue reading to discover the definition of medical malpractice, who can be sued, and examples of medical negligence. If you are facing an allegation of medical malpractice, it is essential that you reach out to our experienced New York City medical malpractice attorney. Our firm is prepared to take on claims such as these and fight for your rights in court. Do not hesitate to give us a call today to schedule your initial consultation and have any questions answered regarding this process. We are here to help.
What is medical malpractice?
When a medical professional does not provide a standard of care for their patients by acting negligently, this is considered medical malpractice. Medical malpractice is one of the most severe claims that medical professionals can receive in their careers. It can impact them heavily with the possibility of a revocation of their medical license.
A medical malpractice claim must be proven by first providing the relationship between the patient and the medical professional and that they owed them a duty of care. It will then have to be proven that the patient’s duty of care was breached, resulting in the patient’s suffering and significant damages.
Who can be sued for medical malpractice?
Anyone who has a career in the medical field can be held liable for negligence if their behavior resulted in a patient’s suffering, emotionally or physically. For example, a doctor, nurse, dentist, physical therapist, psychologist, pharmacist, anesthesiologist, counselor, nurse practitioner, occupational therapist, orthoptist, pharmacist, radiation therapist, surgical technologist, surgeon, neurologist, and many more medical professional careers can be sued for medical malpractice.
Examples of Medical Negligence
Actions that can be considered medical negligence will vary depending on the professional’s field. Below you will find the most common examples of medical negligence:
- Improperly administering or prescribing medications
- Failure to review patient’s medical history
- Sharing information without a patient’s consent
- Performing procedures beyond the scope of their medical license
- Falsifying patient records
- Engaging in inappropriate conduct or relationships with a patient
- Injuring a patient
- Failure to diagnose or delayed diagnosis
- Failure to recognize symptoms/provide proper testing
- Misreading or ignoring laboratory results
- Surgical errors
- Anesthesia error
- Mistakes during childbirth
- Undiagnosed heart disease
Contact our Firm
When a medical professional is accused of misconduct, they must retain strong legal representation. If you require a medical law attorney for your legal matters, call Paul E. Walker, an experienced New York City OPMC & OPD Lawyer. Please contact the Walker Medical Law firm to set up a free initial consultation.
