Common Types of Medical Malpractice Cases in Pittsburgh and Their Legal Implications

It's one thing to have an injury or illness, but it's an entirely different story to have your injury or condition worsened due to medical negligence. Medical malpractice victims should always take action and hold their healthcare providers liable when they breach their duty of care.

With the help of a Pittsburgh medical malpractice lawyer, you can fight for compensation for your losses to hold the medical facility or doctor accountable for their negligent actions. It's essential to keep in mind that your personal injury claim won't just benefit you but your community as a whole. Here are some common types of medical malpractice cases in Pittsburgh and their legal implications:

Birth Injuries

Giving birth is a natural phenomenon that shouldn't result in injuries for the mother and her babies. When it comes to birth injuries, any of the following can be considered medical malpractice:

● Failure to monitor the fetus

● Failure to perform a cesarean section when needed

● Failure to treat any potential complications involving pregnancy and delivery

Many birth injuries shouldn't occur if the standard of care is respected. If you or your child has suffered birth injuries, then the healthcare provider or medical facility can be held liable for the harm caused.

Surgical Errors

Any type of medical error, including surgical errors, can be considered medical malpractice. Unfortunately, surgical errors do occur in Pittsburgh. Some of the most common surgical errors include:

● Nerve damage following surgery

● Performing unnecessary surgeries

● Surgical incompetence or surgeons performing their duty under the influence

● Surgery on the wrong body part

● Leaving surgical instruments inside the patient's body

Surgical errors are vast. In these types of malpractice cases, both the healthcare provider and the medical facility can be held liable.

Anesthesia Mistakes

Improper administration of anesthesia is also a common type of medical malpractice. In some instances, the equipment was faulty, or the patient was exposed to too little or too much anesthesia. Still, there are a variety of other scenarios in which anesthesiologists make mistakes. Some other examples include:

● Not recognizing or treating adverse drug reactions

● Dosage mistakes or anesthesia awareness

● Mistakes in medical documentation and reporting

● Failure to administer oxygen or intubate properly

● Overdose or wrong anesthetic usage

● Usage of incompatible drugs

Medication Errors & Misdiagnosis

Lastly, medication errors, misdiagnoses, or delayed diagnoses can be considered medical malpractice. If a healthcare provider doesn't properly diagnose or delays making a diagnosis that leads to worsening a patient's condition, they can be held liable.

If the healthcare provider prescribes the wrong medication or ignores potentially harmful drug interactions, they can be liable for medical negligence. The legal implications for medical malpractice differ from case to case as the circumstances and the severity of the consequences involved differ.

Victims can sometimes receive compensatory damages for the harm they were exposed to or because their condition worsened. In other instances, victims can also receive punitive damages from a judge or jury as a punishment for the negligent healthcare provider. Speak with a medical malpractice attorney right away if you are the victim of medical negligence.

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