What Is Considered Medical Malpractice? The Fast Facts You Need to Know

Did you know that 250,000 Americans die as a result of medical malpractice every year? According to the same source, that makes it the third leading cause of death in the country.

Clearly, this is a significant and pervasive issue in America today.

Yet there remains a huge amount of uncertainty about it in the general population: what is considered medical malpractice? What are the signs of medical malpractice? And what can you do if you’ve suffered as a result of it?

We’ve put together three key facts about what constitutes medical malpractice that should reveal everything you need to know. Sound good? Keep reading!

1. It’s a Type of Negligence

Medical malpractice almost always comes down to negligence on the part of the medical provider.

Remember: the practitioner’s charged with your care! But, for one reason or another, they fail in their duty and make a grievous mistake that jeopardizes your well-being.

In other words, what they do (or fail to do) strays from the expected ‘standard of care’ in your given circumstance. Alas, this can result in serious implications, including further injury and/or illness.

2. It Comes in Many Forms

From diagnosis to aftercare, medical errors can be made at any step in the treatment process. The result? Medical malpractice comes in many shapes and sizes.

One patient might be misdiagnosed and/or given the wrong medication. Another may have been released too early from the hospital. Someone else’s medical history might not have been taken into account or a serious illness wasn’t diagnosed.

The list goes on! In each case, though, failures in a patient’s care lead to significant negative outcomes.

3. It Has Particular Characteristics

Many people who suffer as a result of medical malpractice seek legal support thereafter (this post could help if you’re looking for an attorney too). However, there are three core characteristics that are required for these cases to be viable in a court of law: the issue, the injury, and the implications.

First, a health care provider must have violated the standard of care we talked about above. Next, that issue led to an injury that would not otherwise have occurred. And third, said injury caused significant damages that justifies the long and expensive legal battle to come.

What Is Considered Medical Malpractice? Now You Know!

Medical malpractice is a serious issue in the US that impacts hundreds of thousands of people each year. Alas, all too many of us remain ignorant about the topic and don’t understand what is considered medical malpractice in the first place. In worst-case scenarios, this lack of insight makes it hard to know a) if/when you’ve experienced medical malpractice and b) whether or not you have a legal right to some all-important compensation.

We hope this post has helped clear things up a bit! Keep these facts in mind and you should have all the information you need to recognize malpractice when you see it.

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