A lot of things can go wrong in health care. There’s usually a lot at stake, too, meaning that improperly handled medical emergencies can result in serious injuries, reduced chances of survival and even death. You may think it would be easy to determine the exact reason why medical emergencies arise or patients are left harmed, but it can actually be a tricky thing to decipher. Oftentimes, medical professionals point to pre-existing medical conditions or other demographic issues as the main culprits in these instances. However, in at least some instances, these claims are inaccurately hide the real cause of harm: medical malpractice.
A USA Today investigation found that, especially in maternity wards, patients are susceptible to misdiagnoses, delayed medical treatment and safety measures that aren’t adhered to by those who are treating them. After analyzing seven million records from 13 states, the investigation found 120 hospitals that have increased rates of severe complications during childbirth. The women at these hospitals are at double the risk of being harmed by seizures, heart attacks, strokes or require additional treatment, such as hysterectomies, due to inadequate medical care during childbirth.
Sadly, safety in childbirth seems to be slipping away. Nearly 700 women die each year during the process, and another 50,000 are injured. While some of these truly are due to unavoidable complications, a significant number of these deaths and injurious incidences are avoidable. Yet, many medical professionals and hospitals become defensive when accused of wrongdoing rather than looking inwardly to see how their practices can be changed to better ensure patient safety.
Being subjected to medical malpractice can have life-altering consequences. In the worse instances, it takes life away. This is wholly unacceptable, and those responsible for causing preventable harm need to be held accountable. Typically, the best way to do this and seek compensation for damages suffered is to pursue a medical malpractice lawsuit. A skilled attorney may be able to help a victim look past a doctor or hospital’s claims to get to the truth and build legal arguments that seek to support an imposition of liability.