What Are the 5 Most Common Causes of Malpractice Suits Against Physicians in Arizona?

If you suffered an injury or became ill due to the negligence of a doctor, surgeon, nurse, or another medical professional, you might be wondering about your rights and legal options. Patients harmed by malpractice on the part of a medical professional or facility could be eligible to seek compensation for the losses they have incurred.

Some common mistakes frequently lead to medical malpractice claims. In this article, Mushkatel, Robbins & Becker, PLLC, discusses the five most common causes of medical malpractice cases, such as those we handle in Arizona.

To learn more about whether you may have grounds for a case, contact us for a free initial consultation.

The 5 Most Common Causes of Malpractice Suits Against Physicians in Arizona Are:

#1 – Medication Errors Malpractice

When we take prescription drugs in a healthcare setting or at home, we expect the medications to help us, not cause further injury. Unfortunately, medication errors are a widespread type of medical malpractice that can occur at any stage of treatment.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), medication errors result in at least one fatality each day and roughly 1.3 million preventable injuries each year in the United States.

Many medication errors occur well before patients ever receive their prescribed drugs. For example, if a doctor fails to diagnose a patient’s condition correctly, they may prescribe medications that are ineffective at best and actively harmful at worst.

Communication breakdowns also contribute to many medication errors. If a prescribing physician receives incorrect or incomplete patient data from nurses or medical assistants, they may not have the information to make reliable healthcare decisions. Similarly, pharmacists, nurses, and other parties responsible for dispensing medications may administer incorrect dosages or drugs if a doctor’s prescription is miswritten or misinterpreted.

Some medication errors happen when patients receive prescribed drugs. That can occur if nurses accidentally administer medications to the wrong patient or provide incorrect dosages. Pharmacy staff members could also be responsible for medication errors if they fill prescriptions incorrectly or fail to check the patient’s medical history for possible contraindications.

#2 – Healthcare-Acquired Infections Malpractice

Data from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) suggest one in every 31 hospital patients suffers from one or more healthcare-acquired infections each day. Healthcare-acquired infections (HAI), also known as hospital-acquired or healthcare-associated infections, can result in severe and potentially life-threatening complications.

The most prevalent types of HAI include urinary tract infections, surgical site infections, pneumonia, and bloodstream infections. Common causes of HAI include:

• Contaminated surgical instruments, needles, equipment, and substances

• Negligent insertion, maintenance, or cleaning of catheters, which can lead to urinary tract infections (UTIs)

• Contaminated ventilators or air conditioning systems, which can spread bacteria and other invisible pathogens through the air and cause respiratory infections

• Lack of regular hand-washing, hygiene, or proper sterilization and disinfection procedures among medical staff

• Inadequate staffing, which can make it more challenging to keep up with sanitation standards and deprive patients of needed care and attention

• Overcrowded facilities, which can result in patients suffering from excessive exposure to others with communicable diseases

#3 – Childbirth Injuries Malpractice

Childbirth injuries are some of the most heartbreaking medical malpractice-related injuries. When OB/GYNs and other medical providers are negligent, mothers and babies can suffer severe or even fatal complications during childbirth.

Some childbirth injuries occur due to preventable fetal or maternal infections. Failure to diagnose or treat such infections can lead to permanent disability, brain damage, and death.

Negligent use of force during delivery can result in traumatic birth injuries such as broken bones and internal bleeding. Improper use of forceps or vacuum extractors can also cause severe injuries to the mother and baby.

One of the most common causes of childbirth injuries involves delaying or failing to order a C-section. Some factors such as fetal size and umbilical cord positioning can make vaginal deliveries exceedingly risky. When physicians fail to recognize these problems, patients can suffer severe injuries during childbirth. Failing to recommend or waiting too long to administer a C-section can be a dangerous and potentially fatal medical error.

#4 – Failure to Treat a Patient’s Condition Malpractice

Failure to treat a patient’s medical condition is a medical error that can take many different forms. Incorrect diagnosis, delayed diagnosis, and failure to diagnose can all deprive patients of the care they need to heal or even result in the administration of improper treatments that cause additional injury.

Research published by the Harvard School of Public Health and Harvard Medical School indicates that failure to treat medical malpractice errors disproportionately affects women and people of color in the United States:

• Women who receive coronary bypass surgeries are half as likely to receive prescriptions for painkillers as men who undergo the same surgeries.

• On average, women wait 16 minutes longer than men to receive analgesic drugs for acute abdominal pain in emergency rooms.

• Women are seven times more likely than men to be misdiagnosed and discharged by doctors during a heart attack.

• Pre-eclampsia and eclampsia are more severe and 60 percent more common among black mothers than white mothers, and black mothers are three to four times more likely to die during or after childbirth.

• Black women and white women have similar breast cancer rates, but black women are 40 percent more likely to die from breast cancer.

#5 – Surgical Errors Malpractice

Survey data from the American Medical Association show general surgeons have some of the highest rates of medical malpractice claims filed against them. Performing surgery is a delicate task, and even seemingly minor mistakes can have substantial postoperative implications for patients.

Common surgical errors include:

• Performing unneeded or inappropriate surgeries
• Operating on incorrect body parts or patients
• Failing to prevent or treat surgical infections
• Leaving surgical sponges or instruments inside patients, resulting in painful complications and the need for additional surgeries

Many patients receive local or general anesthesia before undergoing surgery, and anesthesia errors are a common type of surgical error. Administering too much or too little anesthetic or the wrong kind of anesthetic can leave patients with pain, overdoses, or allergic reactions.

Contact a Medical Malpractice Lawyer in Arizona Now

At Mushkatel, Robbins & Becker, PLLC, our Arizona medical malpractice attorneys are dedicated to providing personalized, full-service legal representation to injured patients. Contact us today to get started with a free initial case review and discuss the details of your medical malpractice claim with a compassionate lawyer (see the elements of medical malpractice).

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