Many people who encounter the term medical malpractice are not aware of exactly how many situations it covers. Any injury that has caused harm to a patient due to negligence or malicious intent on the part of the doctor is considered medical malpractice.
According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, medical malpractice is when a figure of medical authority such as a nurse or doctor causes the patient harm. Due to the vast number of situations this definition encompasses, it may be helpful to someone pursuing a lawsuit to know where their case might fall. For example, harm due to negligence would be handled differently than an injury because of a medication or surgical error. The location that the injury occurs in will also change certain things. Injuries received at a hospital may be treated differently than injuries received at a primary care physician or walk-in clinic.
Accordingly, a list of different categories of potential malpractice includes:
- Primary care physician malpractice
- Walk-in clinic malpractice
- Misdiagnosis
- Birth injuries
- Hospital errors
- Nursing home negligence
Both intentional and unintentional causes can be taken to court under a medical malpractice suit. Intentional injury will be treated with a heavier hand, such as negligence or intentionally deceptive practices. However, sometimes genuine accidents such as misdiagnoses may occur. Unfortunately these accidents may cost a person their health, time, money or more. Due to that, many patients who have suffered from a harmful accident will still wish to pursue a court case in order to collect damages.
Filing for a medical malpractice suit can be a tricky situation. While this is not meant to be taken as legal advice, a person may find themselves benefiting from taking their case to court. This is especially true if a large amount of monetary damage has been incurred.
