The hands that we rely on to save us are the very hands that can be the cause of our death. It can be a win-lose situation that we juggle when we go in for care. When a person visits a doctor’s office or the emergency room, we are expecting to receive the best care available. Even though physicians, nurses and doctors are all certified, the meaning of medical care varies on the individual. From simple honest mistakes, or just miscommunication can lead to the biggest malpractice lawsuit! “It boils down to people dying from the care that they receive rather than the disease for which they are seeking care,” Dr.
Martin Makary said. Martin is a professor at John Hopkins University School of Medicine who research medical errors being the third cause of death in the United States.
I have read cases where the nurse gave drugs to one patient that was initially prescribed to another patient or in certain cases where the surgeon removed the wrong body part.
There are also cases where it was a miscommunication when a patient is transferred from one department to the next. Mistakes that can be prevented by double checking, doing follow –ups as needed, make sure to be fully energized and well rested before operating on a patient. In 1995, there was a medical malpractice involving Mr. Willie King. The 52-year-old man was scheduled to have one of his legs amputated at the University Hospital in Tampa, Florida. During the surgery, the wrong leg was amputated.
Can you imagine preparing yourself to live with one leg to wake up and find out both legs have been cut due to a doctor error. In the end, the hospital admitted to the mistake coming from a chain of error events during the prepping of the procedure.
At the end of the malpractice lawsuit, Mr. King was awarded $900,000 from the hospital and $250,000 from the surgeon himself. The surgeon lost his medical license for half a year and was also fined $10,000. Being involved in a malpractice situation can be very scary for the patient and their families, that at times, can result in the death of a patient. It is best, if the patient has passed due to an error made on the surgeon, hospital and/or nurse that the surviving families seek justice immediately. Seeking justice in a lawsuit cannot bring back a loved one or correct something that is indefinite or unrepairable, but it can help financially if you are not able to work or the mental state that they’ll be in.
Medical Malpractice: Medical Service. (2021, Dec 27). Retrieved from https://paperap.com/medical-malpractice-medical-service/