Medical Malpractice
Medical malpractice is a broad term defined as mistakes considered below the standard level of care made by a healthcare provider that causes personal injury to the patient. People make mistakes all the time and the field of medicine is no exception. Doctor mistakes are common. However, when a healthcare provider makes a mistake, human life can be greatly affected. If a patient is injured or killed by a healthcare providers’ mistake, medical malpractice has most likely been committed. In a study published by the Harvard Medical Practice Study, it is estimated that medical malpractice plays some part in approximately 80,000 wrongful deaths annually in the United States alone. The exact number of people affected by medical malpractice each year is not known due to the difficulty in defining “malpractice”.
Medical malpractice takes many different forms; surgical errors, amputation errors, emergency room mistakes, failure to diagnose illness, birth injuries, emergency room mistakes, improper pre-operational/ post-op procedure, etc. No matter what kind of medical malpractice experienced, in the eyes of the law the patient must have suffered a personal injury strictly due to the healthcare provider’s error. In addition the medical error must be considered below the standard level of healthcare given across the country.
Even though many people suffer from Oklahoma medical malpractice every day, surprisingly few claims are filed. It is estimated that only about 13% of patients that suffer from medical malpractice injuries file a lawsuit or a medical malpractice claim. Of the people who do file medical malpractice lawsuits, it is estimated that only half of them receive any compensation.
If you have been the victim of Oklahoma medical malpractice, contact our plaintiff law firm. We are experienced medical malpractice lawyers ready to review your claim today. Please fill out our contact form or call us toll free, we are here to help.
Medical Negligence in Oklahoma
We put our trust in doctors to take care of our health. Medical negligence can occur in a number of different ways including failing to diagnose a serious condition or injury, improper medication, failure to prioritize your care in an emergency room situation or neglecting to administer the proper care to a patient.
If medical negligence has affected you in Oklahoma, you could be entitled to compensation as a direct result of the hospitals, doctors or administrators negligence. Please fill out our contact form or call us toll free to discuss your medical negligence claim.
Hospital Mistakes and Malpractice Lawsuits
Hospitals and healthcare professionals alike have taken the responsibility of treating sick and injured people. People trust hospitals to provide high quality care and the right decision for their patients in high stress situations. Because of the inherent complicated procedure of treating a human being, a hospital mistake can have very long lasting ill effects. Any number of hospital employees can be responsible for a hospital mistake including: doctors, physicians, nurses, nurses’ aids, emergency room staff, pharmacists as well as hospital administrators. Whoever makes the mistake, the hospital should be held liable for personal injury they caused you or your loved one.
The personal injury lawyers at Atkins & Markoff are familiar with medical malpractice litigation and medical malpractice claims. If you or a loved one has been injured due to the negligence of a hospital or a hospital employee, contact us to discuss your medical malpractice claim. Call us toll free or fill out our contact form. We are here to help.
Surgical Mistake, Negligence or Surgical Error
Many times, a surgical error is a result of medical malpractice. Surgical errors can be defined as any unintentional action made while a person is undergoing surgery. Of the estimated 80,000 annual wrongful deaths attributed in some way to medical malpractice many are a direct result of surgical errors. A surgical error can be as minor as using the incorrect number of sutures to close a wound, or as major as the amputation of the wrong body part.
Some common surgical errors resulting in medical malpractice are organ perforation, usage of unsanitary utensils leading to infection, improper incisions, surgery on the incorrect site or side of the body, and surgery that takes too long or is not begun fast enough resulting in surgical complications. These surgical errors can stem from the least invasive cosmetic surgery procedure, from a common childbirth that is performed a thousand times a day to complicated heart surgery.
It must be realized that even though many surgical errors occur within the field of medicine, not all errors are considered below the appropriate level of care. Accidents happen in every facet of human life on a daily basis and modern medicine is not excluded from this fact.
If you would like to discuss your Oklahoma legal rights as they relate to a surgical error, contact the Oklahoma City based plaintiff law firm of Atkins & Markoff. We have experience handling medical malpractice claims resulting from surgical errors. Please fill out our contact form or call us toll free. We are here to help.