Florida doctors and other medical professionals dedicate their lives to provide health care to the residents in their communities. Medical negligence occurs when a physician fails to provide medical care that a reasonably competent doctor would provide in similar circumstances.
Medical negligence is often the main cause of action in medical malpractice lawsuit filed in Florida. If your physician was negligent in providing you with medical care, an attorney in your area can help file a lawsuit for damages.
One of the most common types of medical negligence is the misdiagnosis of a medical condition or failure to diagnose a medical condition in a timely fashion. An incorrect diagnosis or no diagnosis at all could cause a patient additional harm, due to a delay in the administration of the correct treatment.
Obstetricians and other doctors who work with pregnant women may act negligently throughout the many stages of a woman’s pregnancy. For example, a doctor may be negligent in failing to diagnose a condition in the mother that would affect the fetus or failing to identify signs of birth defects in the fetus. Doctors also may act negligently while delivering the child, causing the child to suffer injury during birth.
Surgical negligence is another common form of medical negligence. A surgeon could perform surgery on the wrong part of the body, leave a surgical instrument inside the patient’s body, or accidentally cut, nick, or poke a body part during the surgery. Additionally, failing to provide adequate post-surgical care or negligently prescribing the wrong follow-up procedure.
Finally, a common form of negligence that is often overlooked is errors that occur when administrating anesthesia. Using faulty equipment, failing to properly measure the amount given to the patient, or administering anesthesia without considering the patient’s medical history are all forms of negligence.
Any form of medical negligence can constitute as medical malpractice if it causes additional harm to a patient. If you have suffered injury at the hands of your health care professional, an attorney can guide you on how to move forward with your claim.
