What behavior is considered medical malpractice?

There are specific actions which can be considered malpractice, but only if you can prove that your doctor or other medical professional acted in such a way that their actions did not meet the necessary standard of care which other professionals in their same situation would have used.

Common actions which might be considered medical malpractice can include:

• Misdiagnosis
• Failure to conduct the appropriate medical tests
• Birth injuries resulting from a physician's negligence
• Wrongful death
• Spinal cord injuries resulting from a physician's negligence
• Failure to diagnose cancer, impending heart attacks, appendicitis, or other common conditions
• Failure to treat
• Medication and pharmaceutical errors
• Removing the wrong body part
• Hospital infections
• Failure to consult with a specialist
• Failure to stabilize a patient

Medication errors

Medication errors are one of the most common errors. In fact, research indicates over one million people each year are harmed in varying degrees by a medication error. Medication errors can occur if the doctor prescribes the wrong medication, gives the patient the wrong dosage, or the doctor misdiagnosis the patient and gives them the wrong medication.

Keep in mind, as mentioned above, not all mistakes are malpractice. For instance, if you were not injured from the error or negligence, you do not have a medical malpractice claim. Doctors are human and mistakes may be made, but if you are seriously injured from the negligent actions of a doctor or medical professional who has made a mistake other doctors would not have made, it may be time to talk to a medical malpractice lawyer.