Medical malpractice lawsuits can be very stressful events for Illinois patients and health care professionals alike. while there are many different reasons that can be cited for a lawsuit, there are some types of neglect or general incidences that are more common than others. An analysis, which referenced both the Centres for Disease Control and prevention and data from a Medscape survey, found these to be the top five reasons for medical malpractice lawsuits:
- Failure to correctly diagnose: this was one of the top reasons, with 31% of physicians reporting to Medscape that this was the reason they faced a malpractice lawsuit.
- An injury or death during treatment: This was tied with failure to diagnose for the top spot, with another 31% of physicians indicating that they faced a lawsuit for this reason.
- Failure to properly treat a condition: this issue most often emerges when one condition leads to other associated infections, such as when HIV/AIDS patients face complications due to inadequate treatment.
- Documentation issues: If a physician does not take proper documents, and a patient faces harm as a result (for example, not getting appropriate care in the future because of incomplete or inaccurate records), the physician could face legal action.
- Errors related to medication: this can include an error in the prescription itself and/or the administration of the medication. Often, dosage problems are at the heart of these cases.
Understanding the common reasons behind medical malpractice can be helpful for those who work to prevent such occurrences. Experts indicate that patient empowerment can be a major factor in prevention as well. Even with precautions being taken, sadly these incidents often still occur and patients may need to seek restitution. Patients who are considering a medical malpractice lawsuit for one of the above-listed reasons, or for any reason, should contact an Illinois personal injury lawyer.