Shocking Examples Of Medical Malpractice

 Posted on January 11, 2019 in Medical Malpractice

Like any professional, you trust that doctors, nurses, hospitals, and other healthcare professionals will do the right thing on behalf of your health and wellness. With years of training, we expect a high level of expertise and dedication in the field of medicine. Sadly, when doctors make mistakes or are negligent, it is the patient and their loved ones that suffer because of medical malpractice - and they must often fight just to obtain the compensation that they deserve. 

Medical malpractice is when a health care provider strays from professional standards. Any health professional, institution, or service can be faced with malpractice on the grounds that the minimum standard of medical care was not reasonably fulfilled.

Medical errors take up to 160,000 lives a year, according to Johns Hopkins University. Many people are afraid to come forward when something does not feel right with the medical care they are receiving. It is difficult to prove medical malpractice, and unfortunately, errors in the medical world do not usually reach the light until they are brought to trial.

Complications brought on by medical errors are a fear that many people fear when getting a routine procedure done. Here are two people who are living testaments to those fears.

Foreign Objects - A woman who went in for a biopsy of irregular breast tissue began experiencing severe pain in her chest. She booked an appointment with a new doctor who revealed that there was something in her breast tissue. She was taken back to the hospital where her biopsy was performed, and they removed two surgical sponges that surgeons had left behind. This created a response in her immune system, where her body built tissue around the sponges to prevent further damage. For her pain and suffering, she received $250,000, plus the cost of her medical expenses.

Wrong Kidney - An investment advisor sought out a kidney transplant at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. Due to a plaque that blocked the artery to his right kidney, the new kidney was to be placed in the man’s left side. After surgery, the doctor admitted to not viewing the patient’s chart before the procedure, and forgetting his medical history, placed the healthy kidney on the wrong side. The kidney for the procedure was donated by the patient’s sister, and he was thus added to the long list of people waiting for a kidney. The man lost his career and lifestyle due to a critical, and avoidable, medical error.

Contact A Kane County Medical Malpractice Lawyer

If something about your recent care from a medical practitioner or facility feels "off," get a second opinion and contact an experienced Aurora, Illinois medical malpractice lawyer. Our seasoned legal team can help win your case against a negligent doctor, nurse, or hospital. Call 630-907-0909 to schedule a free consultation.

Source:
https://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/16/magazine/the-biggest-mistake-of-their-lives.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm