However, doctors, like the rest of us, make mistakes, and their mistakes can be extremely costly. One medical journal has stated that medical error is the third-leading killer of Americans, behind only heart disease and cancer. A study of North Carolina hospitals published in The New England Journal of Medicine found that 1 out of every 42 hospital admissions during part of the first decade of the 2000s resulted in life-threatening injury or death due to medical error. When doctors, nurses, surgeons, and other medical professionals make mistakes, people’s lives can be destroyed or ended. At Brown Moore & Associates, PLLC, we have more than 50 combined years of experience obtaining compensation for our injured clients. Our Charlotte, NC medical malpractice lawyers have seen many people whose lives changed for the worst because of errors committed by medical professionals.
Although there is no way to guarantee that your medical care providers will not err, some steps you can take to reduce the risk include:
- Avoiding misdiagnosis/failure to diagnose: It is important to make sure your doctor knows all of your symptoms and all of the medications you are taking. Doctors are seeing more patients per day than ever before, and that speed increases the risk of missing important details. Make sure you do not let your doctor rush through your appointments.
- Avoiding surgical errors: There is nothing you can do during an actual surgery to prevent surgical errors like the wrong body part being amputated or getting foreign objects left in your body. Everything you do to avoid surgical error has to be done on the front end. Make sure you research your surgeon to see if there have been any ethics violations or malpractice claims. Always seek a second independent opinion.
- Avoiding birth injuries: An important step for avoiding birth injuries and wrongful death of a child during birth is to educate yourself. If you go into the birthing room knowing a little about the terminology, equipment, and procedures, you will more easily recognize nurse errors and doctor errors regarding fetal distress, C-section delivery, and the use of forceps and vacuum extraction.
If you have lost a loved one or suffered serious injuries as a result of medical malpractice, contact us. We offer free initial consultations, so you can talk with an attorney about your rights and options without obligation. Call 704-335-1500 or 800-948-0577 toll-free, or contact us online to schedule your free initial telephone consultation with one of our nurses or attorneys.
