Medical malpractice claims are actually more common than people may believe. While shocking to learn, Americans file an estimated 17,000 medical malpractice lawsuits a year. Therefore, you should understand what to do if your loved one's death occurred because of medical malpractice. A medical wrongful death claim against a doctor or hospital will not bring your loved one back, but it can ensure the issue does not occur again while awarding you with financial compensation for physical and emotional distress. Here are a few types of medical wrongful death claims that may pertain to the loss of your loved one.
1. Improper Diagnosis/Failure to Diagnose
Most, not all, major disease and medical conditions will have symptoms. If your loved one was experiencing certain signs and symptoms, they probably visited a doctor or hospital. Unfortunately, if they passed away, their condition was not properly diagnosed. Filing a wrongful death lawsuit against a doctor or hospital is possible if your loved one's medical condition was misdiagnosed or not diagnosed at all. This is a common type of medical malpractice case.
2. Surgical Mistakes
Risks are always discussed before invasive procedures, such as surgeries. However, most patients and their families are not expecting surgery to lead to death. If your loved one died during surgery or died to a complication from surgery, you should consult an attorney about pursuing a wrongful death lawsuit.
In many cases, deaths and complications that lead to deaths from surgery occur because of human error. The doctor, nurse, specialist, or hospital equipment may have made a mistake during the surgery that leads to your loved one's decline.
3. Wrongful Prescriptions
Prescription medications are also a cause of death in many cases. A medical malpractice lawsuit may be possible if doctors did not prescribe the correct medication or the correct dosage. In addition, if a doctor prescribed a medication that did not mix well with another medication that your loved one was taking, you may be able to file a medical malpractice lawsuit after the death.
If your loved one's death was caused by a reaction to a prescription medication, taking the wrong medication, or taking an excessive dosage even though it was prescribed by a doctor, consult a wrongful death lawyer to determine if you can file a wrongful death claim.
Again, filing a medical wrongful death claim against a doctor or hospital will not bring back your loved one. However, it can help ease some of the physical, emotional, and financial burdens that come along with their death.
