Medical Malpractice

In Shelton and throughout the state of Connecticut, residents seek medical help when they are concerned that they might be injured or ill. We, oftentimes rightly, believe that healthcare professionals such as doctors, nurses, surgeons, pharmacists, etc., can help with our medical issues. While this is oftentimes the case, medical errors do occur that can have a negative impact on patients. These medical errors fall under the branch of medical malpractice. If you think that you are the victim of medical malpractice in Shelton, you can learn more here.

Shelton Medical Issues

Medical malpractice happens when a healthcare professional fails to provide the standard of care that they have towards a patient. Medical malpractice can take on many forms, such as:

• Birth injuries: While some birthing issues cannot be avoided, most birth injuries can be. If your baby was injured during the birthing process, you may have a medical malpractice case.
• Emergency room errors: Emergency rooms are busy and chaotic places. They are one of the most common areas of a hospital that could be prone to error.
• Medication errors: You could be prescribed the wrong medication or you could be administered the wrong medication or wrong dose during a stay in the hospital.
• Misdiagnosis: A doctor may improperly diagnose you with an illness or injury, meaning you will be treated for the wrong medical issue.
• Failure to diagnose: Similarly, a doctor may fail to diagnose your medical condition altogether. This will lead to failure to treat your illness or injury properly.
• Surgical errors: Surgical errors might include performing surgery on the wrong body part, amputating the wrong limb, nerve damage, brain damage, etc.
• Anesthesia errors: One of the most common errors related to surgery is anesthesia issues. These can be severe and should avoided at all costs.

Many medical malpractice issues and errors can actually be avoided by simple communication. This might be communication between staff members or communication between a medical professional and a patient. In an effort to avoid such errors, always make sure to clearly state your medical history and current condition to your healthcare professional.

How to Prove Medical Malpractice

There are several elements that are involved in proving medical malpractice and recovering compensation from the at-fault party. Keep in mind that intent does not have to be present for a healthcare professional to be guilty of medical malpractice. The vast majority of medical errors are unintended. Regardless, they can have serious consequences for innocent patients.

In order to prove medical malpractice in Shelton, there are three basic elements. First, you need to prove that the healthcare professional had a duty of care towards you. Then, you need to prove that they breached this duty of care. Finally, you need to prove that this breach of duty resulted in harm to you. While this is a basic outline of how these cases work, it is a good place to start if you are trying to determine if you have a case.

If you feel that you do have a case, consider getting the help of a Shelton medical malpractice lawyer. This can make the process much easier for you.