Many Massachusetts residents find going to the doctor to be an anxiety-filled experience. They fear that a serious medical condition may be discovered and that there may be little, if anything, that can be done to treat it. Though this is a legitimate fear, it should not paralyze individuals from seeking medical examination when needed. With that being said, though, there is another aspect of medical care that Massachusetts residents should be concerned about.
Far too often, patients are subjected to substandard, negligent medical care. This care, in turn, can lead to significant harm and even death. Victims can be left with financially damaging medical expenses, a worsened medical condition, lost wages caused by an inability to work, and physical and emotional pain and suffering.
So, what are the most common reasons medical malpractice lawsuits are filed? A recent survey found that nearly one-third of all lawsuits against physicians were for a failure to diagnose. The same percentage of respondents stated that lawsuits were filed for a patient suffering an unusual and abnormal injury. Coming in third with 12 percent was a failure to treat. Rounding out the bottom of the survey were medication errors, failing to follow certain safety procedures, and lack of consent issues.
Regardless of how a patient is injured, if the harm was caused by the negligence of another, then a lawsuit may be justified. Winning a lawsuit could make quite a difference in a victim’s life, as it could mean that he or she acquires the compensation needed to pay for the medical care he or she needs, finds financial stability, and obtains a sense of justice and closure.
Source: Becker’s Hospital Review, “Medical malpractice: 7 common reasons physicians are sued,” Anuja Vaidya, Jan. 8, 2015
