People are supposed to be able to count on their doctors to take care of them. The last thing we expect is to get injured while under the care of our physician. However, accidents happen every day. Doctors aren’t perfect. That’s why they carry medical malpractice insurance. If something happens during surgery or as part of their day-to-day care, they’re covered.
This doesn’t mean that doctors don’t care if they hurt their patients. They have taken the Hippocratic oath, after all. They try to provide their patients with the best care. But if something bad does happen, you need to call our office. One of our medical malpractice lawyers in Atlanta can meet with you as soon as you’re physically ready.
Here, we’ll talk about the 5 most common types of medical malpractice cases in Georgia. Our team of seasoned Atlanta personal injury lawyers have handled our fair share of these cases. It also helps that we have a licensed physician on staff. This gives us the insight that other firms cannot offer you. If you have concerns about your own case, give us a call so we can schedule your free, initial consultation.
Do You Know What Medical Malpractice Is?
Medical malpractice is like any other personal injury case. The difference is that the defendant happens to be a doctor. In order to prove this type of case, your Atlanta personal injury lawyer must still prove negligence. They’ll also have to prove causation. It isn’t enough that you suffered an injury. You must also demonstrate that the defendant was responsible for your injuries, illness, or death.
Misdiagnosis Cases Happen More Often than You May Think
Many of the medical malpractice cases we handle involve misdiagnoses. This is when a doctor either fails to diagnose a patient with a serious illness or diagnoses them with the wrong illness. When this happens, the patient loses the chance to receive important treatment because they weren’t properly diagnosed. By the time the proper diagnosis is provided, it may be too late.
When a person learns they have cancer or some other disease, they need to seek treatment right away. If it takes weeks or months for the patient to learn that they were misdiagnosed, their illness will have progressed much further than necessary.
Did You Suffer an Injury at the Hands of Your Anesthesiologist?
Our medical malpractice lawyers in Atlanta meet with a lot of clients who were harmed by their anesthesiologist. These cases involve a variety of errors on the part of surgical anesthesiologists. For example, if you’re having surgery, your anesthesiologist is supposed to tell you how to prepare the day ahead of surgery. You aren’t supposed to eat or drink anything for at least 12 hours prior to surgery. If they fail to do this, you could vomit during sedation and choke.
Another issue with anesthesiologists is that they may sedate you for longer than necessary. This can lead to a host of medical issues, including brain damage. It’s critical that they know exactly how long to put you under. They also need to know how to wake a patient up if they realize there is an issue.
Sometimes, Doctors Make Medication Errors that Prove Deadly
When you go to see your doctor, there’s a good chance they’ll prescribe you medication of some sort. Perhaps you have a cold or flu, and they prescribe you steroids or an inhaler. You may go to your doctor for headaches, and they prescribe you blood pressure medication as well as medicine for migraine headaches.
It’s your doctor’s duty to check to see if you’ll have any potential adverse interactions with the new drug. Did they check your medical records and pharmacy report to make sure it’s safe for you to take the medication? Or did they overprescribe the drug causing further damage to your health?
Did Your Doctor Commit an Error During Surgery?
Nobody likes to have surgery. It’s scary enough to enter the hospital knowing that you’re going under the knife. The last thing you expect to happen is your surgeon making a crucial mistake while you’re under anesthesia.
For example, if you need to have a leg amputated due to an infection or other disease, you don’t want to wake up to find that your surgeon cut off the wrong leg. While this sounds ridiculous, it does happen. Our Atlanta personal injury lawyers meet with new clients every week who suffered some sort of medical malpractice.
Sadly, Childbirth Injuries Also Fall Under Medical Malpractice
The last type of medical malpractice we’ll discuss here has to do with childbirth injuries. Having a new baby should be a happy time for you and your family. The last thing you expect is for something to go wrong during delivery. Your child could suffer a skull fracture or other type of fracture during delivery. Or they may be deprived of oxygen for a period of time, causing brain damage.
If anything happens to your child and you suspect it was due to your doctor’s negligence, call us right away. One of our medical malpractice lawyers in Atlanta can take a look at your file and help you decide how best to proceed.
Make an Appointment with One of Our Atlanta Personal Injury Lawyers Now
If you or your loved one have been the victim of medical malpractice, you need help. It can be daunting to take on your doctor and their insurance carrier. That’s why it’s a good idea to meet with an Atlanta personal injury lawyer as soon as possible after your injury. We have decades of combined experience handling medical malpractice cases. Regardless of the type of malpractice you suffered, we’ll do our best to make the defendant pay.
If you believe you’re entitled to damages, take advantage of the free, initial consultation we offer new clients. This gives you a chance to sit down with someone who’s handled cases just like yours before. They’ll let you know if they think your case has merit. If they don’t feel you have a valid claim, they’ll let you know right away. They don’t want to get your hopes up unfairly.
Since the initial consultation is free, you have nothing to lose. Give us a call today so we can find a date and time that works for you.
