Medical malpractice is defined as the failure of a health care provider to follow appropriate and accepted practice resulting in an injury to the patient. Medical malpractice may occur in the course of office visits to doctors and other health care providers, in hospitals, or pharmacies.

Not every injury that occurs in the course of medical treatment is the result of malpractice. Some injuries are considered accepted risks of the procedure while others may result from the condition being treated, not from the treatment itself.

Some common types of medical malpractice claims

Medicine is such a complicated field that it is impossible to list all of the possible types of medical malpractice claims here. Examples of some common types of medical malpractice claims include:

• A doctor’s delay in recognizing the signs of cancer, resulting in loss of a chance of cure;
• Errors in prescribing or dispensing medication;
• Birth injuries caused by poor obstetric practice;
• Injuries to infants and children caused by failure to recognize the seriousness of an illness such as diarrhea or an infection;
• Injuries caused by bungled or unnecessary surgery;
• Failure to diagnose a developing heart attack or stroke in the doctor’s office or an emergency room.

A free consultation with a medical malpractice attorney experienced in medical malpractice law can help you find out whether you have a possible basis to make a medical malpractice claim. The decision whether to proceed with such a claim generally requires a review of medical records and consultation with medical experts. If you believe you have been the victim of medical malpractice, call Fine, Olin & Anderman at (855) 451-5621 or submit your free “Do I Have a Case?” evaluation.