Medication errors result in more than 7,000 deaths each year in hospitals alone, and tens of thousands more in outpatient facilities; fully half of adverse reactions to medicines are the result of medical errors.
Raleigh, North Carolina Medical Malpractice Lawyer
Whether involving a doctor or surgeon, a hospital or clinic, the fact is that medical mistakes kill and injure thousands of people in North Carolina each year. Medical malpractice or medical negligence happens when a medical provider, whether an anesthesiologist, doctor, nurse, or other health care professional working in a clinic, hospital or HMO, acts in a manner that falls below the accepted standard of care in the medical community.
The medical malpractice lawyers at White & Stradley represent clients throughout Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Fayetteville and other communities in North Carolina. We handle medical malpractice and negligence claims involving:
- Anesthesia errors and anesthesiologist negligence
- Birth injuries, Erb's palsy and cerebral palsy
- Brain injuries and traumatic brain injuries
- Delayed diagnosis of a medical condition
- Emergency room errors, delays and negligent treatment
- Errors and mistakes in diagnosis and treatment
- Failure to diagnose cancer
- Failure to diagnose a heart condition
- Failure to diagnose meningitis
- Failure to diagnose medical conditions before serious or fatal consequences develop
- Medication and prescription errors
- Injuries from misdiagnosis of a medical condition
- Obstetrical and gynecological malpractice
- Pediatric malpractice
- Surgical mistakes, surgical errors and surgeon malpractice
- X-ray and diagnostic imaging misreading and misdiagnosis
Medical Malpractice - An Overview
Malpractice occurs when a negligent act or omission by a doctor or other medical professional results in damage or harm to a patient. Negligence by a medical professional could include an error in a diagnosis, treatment, or illness management. If such negligence results in injury to a patient, a case could arise against the doctor if his or her actions deviated from generally accepted standards of practice; against the hospital for improper care, such as problems with medications, sanitation or nursing care; or against local, state or federal agencies that operate hospital facilities.
Medical malpractice laws are designed to protect patients' rights to pursue compensation if they are injured as the result of negligence. However, malpractice suits are often complex and costly to win. While theoretically you can seek compensation for any injury caused by negligence, regardless of its seriousness, time and money make it unrealistic to sue for an injury that is minor or resolves quickly. Therefore, if you believe you have a medical malpractice claim, it is important to consult with an attorney who can help you determine whether your claim is worth pursuing.
Understanding Informed Consent
In many situations where medical care or treatment is provided to an individual, medical professionals are required to obtain the patient's "informed consent." Although the specific definition of informed consent may vary from state to state, it means essentially that a physician (or other medical provider) must tell a patient all of the potential benefits, risks, and alternatives involved in any surgical procedure, medical procedure, or other course of treatment, and must obtain the patient's written consent to proceed.
Responsible Parties in Medical Malpractice Actions
Medical malpractice is not limited to medical doctors. It applies also to nurses, dentists, osteopaths, health care facilities, and others providing health care services, such as nursing homes.
Prescription Medications: Things You Should Know
While prescription medications have enabled us to overcome or cure illnesses that were often fatal only decades ago, prescription medications can also be confusing, dangerous, and expensive. The following contains information on how to read prescriptions, how to take them, and how to respect them.
Res Ipsa Loquitur
Establishing wrongdoing on the part of a health care provider is often difficult. It requires the hiring of experts, in the same field as the health care professional being charged with misconduct, who must testify as to what the defendant should have done under applicable professional standards.
Since medical organizations generally discourage those in the medical professions from testifying against one another, it is difficult to find experts who have the integrity to come forward and testify as to misconduct by one of their peers. In addition, many insurance companies providing coverage to health care providers require that they not testify against other providers who are insured by the same company.
For a free review of your medical malpractice claim, please contact White & Stradley, PLLC, by calling 888-666-2446 today. Our firm is based in Raleigh, and we serve clients in communities throughout North Carolina.