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The Three Main Causes for Medical Malpractice

By Oguz Ozdemir

Although there are mistakes made in operating rooms every day, prescriptions are written out hastily and patients take a turn for the worst, there are three major causes for medical malpractice: misdiagnosis, delayed diagnosis and incorrect diagnosis. Each one is just as bad as the others and plays out differently depending on the patient and his or her past medical history.

A misdiagnosis can result in the spread of an illness or disease that could have been controlled had it been recognized earlier by a physician or other medical professional. While it is hard to be perfect when you are a doctor, all avenues should always be exhausted when it comes to properly and effectively diagnosing a patient.

Not all undiagnosed illnesses end up as life threatening. That is why it is always important to play your part in your own life. Do not always assume that the doctor is always right – those days are over. You must always check your medications and make sure that they are able to be combined safely. If you are unsure, ask a pharmacist. Sometimes they are more observant than your doctor is.

A delayed diagnosis can be just as bad as a misdiagnosis. If an illness is left undiagnosed it can actually keep progressing which could cut down on the amount of time in which it could have been receptive to medications or procedures. Again, it may be hard to establish when you did have the symptoms and were they evident when you went to your doctor? Proving that not doing something or doing something late has an effect on someone's health is oftentimes hard to prove.

And then there is the incorrect diagnosis. In this area it may be hard to prove that a physician did anything out of negligence that would cause another person to suffer as a result. Extensive research with other physicians in the field may or may not be able to prove anything other than human error.

More and more physicians are exercising caution in an effort to avoid any malpractice law suits. The cost of medical malpractice is expensive for the physicians and as in every group, the good doctors get punished along with the physicians who do not adhere to the credo, first do no harm.

There are certainly other areas that result in medical malpractice law suits. Be careful whose hands you put your life in. Go to a physician who is board certified, referred by friends or referred by a doctor or medical professional who you trust. If you or a loved one have suffered any side effects as a result of a misdiagnosis, delayed diagnosis or incorrect diagnosis you should contact our professional team at Napoli Bern Ripka at 1-888-LAW-IN-NY for a free consultation.

You may be eligible for compensation for the injuries or illnesses that you suffered as a result of someone else's negligence. We have experience in these types of cases and can advise you as to how to proceed.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Oguz Ozdemir

Full post as published by New York City Personal Injury Lawyer on August 18, 2009 (boomark / email).