What are the five most common types of medical malpractice?

Misdiagnosis
Failure to diagnose an illness or diagnosing an incorrect illness is a common medical mistake. As the name suggests, “misdiagnosis” occurs when a medical provider improperly diagnoses a patient’s symptoms. Misdiagnosis is usually related to serious illnesses, such as heart disease or cancer. This is a common cause of medical malpractice claims and an example includes a patient who was told he didn’t have a heart problem but had actually already suffered a heart attack and shortly after had a more serious attack.

Surgical errors
Errors during are another common type of medical malpractice. Mistakes during surgery such as operating on the wrong body part, leaving instruments inside people or incorrect monitoring or use of machinery. An example of a case won by our lawyers is a $3,300,000 settlement for a 70-year-old man who was injured during a spinal surgery when a surgeon inserting an artificial disc into the spine caused a piece of bone to break off and traumatically compress the spinal cord

Failure to treat
This refers to a doctor or medical professional’s failure to take the proper steps to diagnose or treat your condition. If the failure was caused by a medical error or negligence, you may have a medical malpractice claim. Some examples of failures to treat/diagnose include diagnosing a condition based on incorrect test results or failing to carry out necessary tests.

Birth injuries
These are typically physical injuries experienced during childbirth, and can affect either the mother or the baby. In newborn babies, a birth injury (often called ‘neonatal birth trauma’) can include many things, from bruising to a broken bone, or more serious conditions such as a brain injury or nerve damage.

Prescription drug errors
Mistakes involving medication can include prescribing an incorrect drug for the condition, prescribing a drug which the patient is allergic to, miscalculating the dosage or failing to administer prescription drugs.

Negligent cosmetic procedures
Cosmetic treatment performed without the necessary care or skill can result in physical or psychological damage and have a devastating effect on patients. There are thousands of cosmetic procedures carried out every year in Los Angeles and although most patients are happy with the results. Sometimes things go wrong and there is reason to claim for negligence.

Dental Mistakes
Mistakes during dental treatment include misdiagnosis of tooth decay, failure to take x-rays before treatment begins, performing unnecessary procedures, and incorrect filling placement or extraction techniques. This may lead to additional costs for corrective treatment as well as pain and trauma.

Care Home Negligence
These are typically very sad cases where a resident is being mistreated or neglected and often results in an injury or illness from more minor injuries such as pressure sores to medical malpractice claims or even wrongful death.