Even the best doctor, nurse, or hospital staff member will occasionally make a mistake, some of which could have disastrous consequences for patients. While not every error automatically rises to the level of medical malpractice, patients may be eligible to file a claim if their health care providers failed to provide a certain standard of care. While almost any situation could provide grounds for a medical malpractice claim, some injuries are more common than others.

What Are the Most Common Types of Medical Malpractice Claims?

1. Misdiagnoses

Medicine is an uncertain, complex field, so even experienced specialists sometimes misinterpret test results or fail to identify an underlying condition. A misdiagnosis can be extremely dangerous or even life-threatening, especially if you’re receiving treatment for the wrong medical condition. If your doctor failed to notice signs another reasonable practitioner would have seen or didn’t order standard tests, you may have grounds for a medical malpractice claim.

2. Prescription Errors

Every year, approximately 1.5 million Americans are harmed by prescription errors, some of which can have lifelong consequences. These can include everything from administering the incorrect dose, giving patients the wrong medication, or prescribing two different drugs that are known to interact negatively. Victims of medication-related medical malpractice may suffer an overdose, organ damage, and a wide range of other potentially dangerous side effects.

3. Surgical Errors

Mistakes in the operating room are often life-altering and traumatic, especially since the patient will still need their original surgery. Some common surgical errors include amputating the incorrect limb, performing the wrong surgery, or actually leaving implements inside the patient.

If you or a loved one has been the victim of medical malpractice, the legal team at Ibold & O'Brien have the resources and experience to help you achieve justice. They’ve been proudly serving clients throughout Ohio’s Geauga, Lake, Ashtabula, and Cuyahoga counties for 40 years, providing award-winning service and aggressive representation to those who need it most. Visit their website for more on their medical malpractice services, follow their Twitter for more legal tips an insight, or call (440) 285-3511 to arrange your initial consultation.