Diagnosing Errors Happen Across The Spectrum

Diagnosing Errors Happen Across The Spectrum

The opening line to this article is absolutely correct when they say, “Thinking about mistakes, especially medical mistakes, is uncomfortable.”

That is because we need to trust our medical professionals and anything that lowers that trust makes us wonder if something could happen to us when we need medical attention. The reason we like the article we cited is because it points out that death is not the only outcome when it comes to medical mistakes, though there are plenty of those. In fact, around 250,000 people lose their lives each year due to medical errors.

But what about the people who survive the mistakes and must live with the consequences? It has been revealed that medical mistakes that cause serious harm are 10 to 20 times more common than the mistakes that cause death.

Do the math – that means 2.5 million to 5 million people are seriously harmed each year due to medical mistakes. At The Weitz Firm, LLC, we are here to help if you or a loved one are injured due to the negligence of a healthcare professional. When you need a Philadelphia medical malpractice lawsuit lawyer, call us today.

Emergencies

When you have to go to the emergency room, you should be able to count on a high standard of care. Unfortunately, many ERs are overcrowded and understaffed. This can lead to healthcare professionals who are there to be overworked and they may miss something while treating you. If they cannot or do not perform a full assessment of each patient, the results can be disastrous. Johns Hopkins researchers say that diagnostic errors cause the most severe patient harm of all medical mistakes.

Surgery

You may have heard of the “never events” that can happen during surgery (wrong body part operated on, the wrong patient, wrong side of the body, leaving an instrument inside of a body, etc.) but there are also plenty of other errors that are not as well-reported that can cause just as much harm.

Routine Visits

You see many medical professionals throughout the year and probably do not think twice about it:

  • Pharmacists
  • Optometrists
  • Primary Care Doctor
  • “Minute Clinic” nurses
  • Dentists

Each one of these should be trained to do their jobs well but they also have the potential to make mistakes.

A Note On Infections

A person admitted to a hospital has a five percent chance of contracting an infection. Most of these infections are preventable and they occur because healthcare professionals neglect to care for IV sites, open wounds, recent surgical sites, etc.

What You Can Do Now

Please do not put off seeking help from a qualified and experienced attorney if you or a loved one have been harmed due to a medical mistake. We know that these situations can be overwhelming, but you can get help with the expenses. At The Weitz Firm, LLC, we will work tirelessly to secure the following:

  • Coverage for medical expenses
  • Lost income and benefit recovery if you cannot work
  • Loss of enjoyment of life damages
  • Punitive damages

When you need a Philadelphia medical malpractice attorney, you can contact us for a free consultation by clicking here or calling 267-587-6240.

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