When you receive medical care, you place a great deal of trust in your doctor and other medical personnel. Because of their medical expertise, you expect them to be able to identify your needs and determine the best treatments. Unfortunately, doctors do not always meet these expectations, and if they fail to provide the proper level of medical care, you can suffer serious harm. Misdiagnosis is one of the most common forms of medical malpractice that can result in serious injuries to patients, and it occurs far too regularly.

A recent study conducted by the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine found that around 12 million people experience diagnostic errors each year in the United States, and in around one third of these cases, misdiagnosis results in permanent injuries or wrongful death. The study also estimated that between 40,000 and 80,000 people die each year because of misdiagnosis.

What Are the Most Commonly Misdiagnosed Conditions?

The study identified three areas in which misdiagnosis occurs most often:

Veterans make huge sacrifices to serve our country, and they deserve to be cared for in the years following their military service. Unfortunately, hospitals operated by the Department of Veterans Affairs often provide substandard care, and veterans may suffer serious injuries because of medical malpractice. In fact, investigations performed in recent years have found that hundreds of veterans have died and thousands more suffered injuries because of medical mistakes by the VA, and in many cases, the VA failed to properly address medical errors or discipline healthcare providers who harmed patients. If you are a veteran who has been injured by medical errors at a VA facility, you should be sure to understand your legal options for pursuing compensation. 

Medical Errors at VA Hospitals

Investigations have uncovered a wide variety of medical negligence resulting in injuries to veterans, including:

• Surgical errors - In addition to failure to complete surgical procedures correctly, VA surgeons have been found to leave objects inside patients’ bodies during surgery, which can cause serious health risks.
• Medication errors - Veterans may be harmed by the prescription of improper medications, improper doses, or failure to consider side effects or interactions between multiple medications.
• Delayed care - VA hospitals are often plagued by lengthy wait times and delays in providing treatment. Failure to treat conditions such as cancer in a timely manner can be fatal for veterans.
• Failure to recognize suicide risks - Many veterans experience conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and VA medical staff should be aware of the risks of suicide for these patients. Unfortunately, failure to perform risk assessments, delays in responding to mental health concerns, or failure to prescribe the proper medication has resulted in the deaths of multiple veterans.

Contact a Cook County Medical Malpractice Attorney

At Winters Salzetta O’Brien & Richardson, LLC, we work with veterans to address injuries caused by VA medical negligence, and we have obtained multiple verdicts and settlements for clients in these types of cases, including a $900,000 verdict in a case where a veteran committed suicide after being refused treatment at a VA hospital. In another notable case, we assisted a Vietnam veteran who was injured by errors made during oral surgery, and we secured a $12 million settlement to address his ongoing medical care and disability.

People in the United States who receive medical treatment expect their doctors to provide high-quality care that properly addresses their concerns, including any complications that arise from treatment. Unfortunately, medical errors often occur, and these can lead to serious injuries. Orthopedic procedures are one area of medicine in which medical professionals must take extra care, and when doctors fail to address vascular complications following these procedures, patients may suffer a great deal of harm.

Common Vascular Issues in Orthopedic Procedures

Orthopedic procedures involve surgeries or treatments to the musculoskeletal system, including the bones, joints, muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Some common procedures include treatment of joints with an arthroscope (arthroscopy), joint replacement (arthroplasty), correction of deformed bones (osteotomy), repair of bone fractures, treatment of herniated disks in the spine, and repair of torn tendons or ligaments.

Due to the complexity of orthopedic procedures, various complications can arise, especially in cases involving joint replacement, such as complete knee or hip arthroplasty. Issues involving the vascular system, or blood vessels, are one of the most serious complications, and they can include:

In the United States, we have some of the best doctors and healthcare facilities in the world, and we expect to receive quality medical care when we need it. We place a great deal of trust in medical professionals, but unfortunately, these people are only human, and mistakes are often made that can lead to serious injuries, drastically affecting a person’s quality of life and a family’s finances.

While medical malpractice can take a variety of forms, surgical errors are one type of medical negligence that can be especially devastating. These errors are much more common than one would expect; in fact, studies have found that more than 4,000 preventable mistakes occur every year during surgical procedures across the U.S. 60% of these errors cause temporary injuries, 33% cause permanent harm, and nearly 7% of cases lead to the death of a patient.

Common Types of Surgical Errors

Surgical malpractice can take a variety of forms, but some of the most common errors committed during surgery include:

In the United States, we have access to the best healthcare in the world. Sadly, even with this level of care, people are often injured due to medical negligence on the part of doctors, nurses, or hospital staff. Any type of medical malpractice injury can have long-lasting negative effects, but birth injuries are especially devastating, and they can have a huge emotional and financial impact on a family.  

Common Birth Injuries

If the medical personnel in a hospital do not take the proper steps before, during, and after a child’s delivery, serious harm can come to the infant or the mother. Some of the most common birth injuries that occur due to medical negligence include:

• Hypoxia - An infant who suffers from a lack of oxygen during birth can experience serious injuries, including brain damage or organ failure. Hypoxia can occur if medical staff do not properly monitor fetal heart rate or fail to address issues such as a prolapsed umbilical cord or placental abruption.
• Infections - Newborns are highly susceptible to communicable diseases, and doctors and nurses should take steps to ensure a child’s safety. Failure to maintain proper hygiene during birth or properly treat infections can lead to serious, life-threatening complications.
• Cerebral palsy - Injury to the brain during birth can lead to this life-long condition, which affects a person’s ability to control their muscles. Brain damage leading to CP can be caused by improper use of forceps or vacuum extraction, hypoxia, failure to treat jaundice, or certain types of infections.
• Fractures - A child may experience broken bones if a doctor does not properly monitor the position of the child during delivery or uses too much force when extracting the child. Broken collarbones are the most common type of fracture, but a baby’s arms or legs can also be broken during birth, and skull fractures can also occur, leading to hemorrhaging and brain damage.  
• Brachial plexus injuries - A child may experience injuries to the brachial plexus nerves which control the arms and hands during delivery. Shoulder dystocia, which occurs when a child’s shoulders are not moved through the birth canal correctly, can lead to conditions such as Erb’s palsy or paralysis.

Contact a Cook County Medical Malpractice Lawyer

Thousands of births happen every day, and mistakes made during these procedures can have serious, life-long effects for a family. At Winters Salzetta O'Brien & Richardson, LLC, we understand how birth injuries can impact a family, and we are highly experienced in helping our clients receive the compensation that addresses the physical, emotional, and financial harm done by medical malpractice. In one notable case, we obtained a $2.9 million verdict for a couple whose baby girl died during delivery when nurses failed to identify signs of uterine rupture.