There are a few forms of medical malpractice that you may not have heard about, but many lawyers have, as they have either represented a victim of medical malpractice or defended a person accused of medical malpractice.
In most instances when someone says medical malpractice, people automatically think about doctors misdiagnosing something, handing out the wrong kind of prescription or even removing the wrong organ during surgery. While these are examples of medical malpractice, they are really just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the various types of med mal.
Med mal comes in various forms and while most of the cases are pretty obvious, others need close scrutiny. The three areas that often get overlooked completely are birth injury, medication errors and dental negligence.
Unfortunately birth trauma/injuries are quite common and cause the most anxiety to the parents. Many parents don’t realize what went wrong or if they do, they don’t realize it may have been the fault of the attending physician. Most don’t say anything, and certainly don’t seek legal counsel to file a birth injury lawsuit.
Birth injuries are often the result of the fetus being harmed while being delivered; for instance, as the result of a McRobert’s maneuver to assist a child whose shoulder is impacted on the mother’s pelvis. Some of the injuries that may arise during this method of delivery are facial injuries, brachial plexus injury, and Erb’s palsy.
Statistics show that roughly 6 injuries happen each year in the U.S. out of every 1,000 live births. These stats also cover other injuries such as the baby slipping out of the doctor’s grip (or other health care practitioner) or falling out of a bassinet at the hospital. Other well-known personal injuries are an improperly performed cesarean section and an improper response to fetal distress. Med mal in these instances has the potential to mean lifelong permanent injury or illness for the child.
If you suspect your are the victim of med mal birth injury, don’t wait until it is too late to contact an experienced litigator; one who will ensure you receive an award that will cover your child’s medical bills.
Another little known, or mentioned, category of med mal is dental malpractice. This happens when a dentist or oral surgeon doesn’t offer the proper standard of care and the end result causes injuries to a patient. Dental negligence may include unnecessary/improper treatments, improper use of dental instruments, nerve damage as a result of an improperly given injection, or the failure to diagnose gum disease. In many cases, what started out as a routine visit ended up being an unwelcome root canal procedure.
A great many people don’t think to report what may be med mal on the part of the dentist because they feel things “just happened.” Never hesitate to call a med mal lawyer about situations such as this, as you may have a good med mal claim. Your lawyer will assess your case and advise you.
Michael G. Smith is a Little Rock injury lawyer and Little Rock accident lawyer, practicing personal injury law in Little Rock Arkansas. To learn more about Little Rock injury lawyer, Little Rock accident lawyer, Little Rock person injury lawyer, Little Rock malpractice lawyer, Little Rock injury attorney, Little Rock wrongful death attorney, visit Arkansaslawhelp.com.
