Sacramento Medical Malpractice Lawyers

Medical Errors

If you or someone you know has suffered injury due to a medical error, consult a Sacramento medical malpractice lawyer at our firm as soon as possible.

Despite the significant progress that has been made in terms of health care, all too often, patients are injured or die as a result of medical errors.  Findings by the Commonwealth Fund in 2002 suggested that one in five people (22%) report that they or a family member has suffered from a medical error of some kind.  The office of the Medical Inspector at the Veterans administration reported that between June of 1997 to December of 1998, 2,927 medical errors occurred, and more than 700 of them resulted in accidental patient deaths or suicides.  In November of 1999, the Institute of Medicine released a report that estimated that as many as 98,000 patients die each year in hospitals as a result of medical errors.  This means that more individuals die as a result of medical error compared to those who die as a result of car accidents, breast cancer, or even AIDS. 

While medical errors can occur for any number of reasons, many occur as a result of doctor fatigue.  In a study published by PLOS Medicine, it was found that first-year interns who worked extended shifts had an increase of medical errors, many of which were due to fatigue.  Medical errors occur when a health care professional opts for an inappropriate method of care or selects the right method of care and carries it out wrong.  Medical errors are typically defined as an inaccurate or incomplete diagnosis and/or treatment of an infection, injury, disease, syndrome, or other ailment. 

There are a number of different types of medical errors that can and do occur, and they can involve diagnosis or misdiagnosis, medications, surgery, anesthesia, equipment, and lab reports.  Examples of medical errors include giving the wrong drug to a patient or too much of a particular medicine to a patient, giving drugs that interact or counteract one another, misdiagnosing an illness and bringing on inappropriate treatment, operating on the wrong area (i.e., amputating the left limb when it should have been the right limb), leaving a surgical sponge or other medical instrument inside a patient during surgery, and discharging a patient without prescribing proper medication.

Sacramento medical error claims often require extensive investigation and a thorough knowledge of medical standards of care.  At the Sacramento Medical Errors Law Firm, our lawyers and attorneys have represented a number of clients who have suffered a wide range of complications that stemmed from medical errors. 

Our highly-skilled Sacramento medical malpractice attorneys have a vast amount of knowledge regarding standards of care in the medical field.  With a solid preparation of the medical facts and aggressive representation, a Sacramento medical error attorney or lawyer at our firm can provide you with the best opportunity to receive fair and just compensation.

We offer free Sacramento medical error case evaluations.  Contact a Sacramento medical error lawyer at our firm today!