Medical malpractice refers to those situations where a doctor, nurse or other medical professional fails to act up to the expected standards of his or her job, and and a patient suffers harm as a result. Medical professionals have a duty to act according to the “standard of care” of their job. The duty of care is typically established by expert testimony of health care professionals in similarly situated jobs. If they fail to meet these standards, and a patient suffers harm, the patient may have a claim for medical malpractice. In some circumstances, a medical professional may breach the standard, but the patient’s condition may not be affected. In these situations, claims for medical malpractice may be difficult to prove. As such, if you have questions or believe you may have suffered harm from medical malpractice, it’s critical to contact a skilled California medical malpractice attorney to discuss your case.
One area for concern includes diagnostic errors. Mistakes in diagnosing medical conditions and providing the proper treatment are one of the leading causes of medical malpractice claims. A recent study reviewed diagnostic errors in radiology, and found that 44% of all diagnostic errors that occur in radiology are related to cancer. The failure to diagnose and treat cancer in a timely matter can lead to significant harm - as delays may lessen the chances of a recovery.
If you believe you have been harm by any type of medical error, including delays in diagnosis - or missed diagnosis, surgical errors, or prescription errors, it’s critical to speak to a medical malpractice attorney right away.
For more information, please contact the dedicated California medical malpractice lawyers at Bostwick & Peterson immediately for a confidential consultation.
