If you or a loved one has suffered an injury, illness or death that may have been someone else's fault, call the Elderkin Law Firm at 1-814-456-4000 or click here for a FREE online case evaluation.  The initial consultation is free of charge.  In many cases a lawsuit must be filed before an applicable expiration date, known as a statute of limitations.  So please call right away to ensure that you do not forfeit your right to possible compensation.

Doctors, nurses and other health care providers spend a great deal of time learning how to treat a great variety of illnesses and physical maladies.  As a group they are professionals dedicated to helping sick and injured people get well.  Unfortunately, health care providers can also make mistakes.  When mistakes are made the effects can be devastating, even fatal.

Medical malpractice is a form of negligence involving a medical treatment provider.  Medical malpractice does not occur every time there is a bad outcome from treatment.  But if someone is injured as a result of a treatment provider's departure from the standard of care, that provider may be liable for the injury that has occurred. 

Types of Medical Malpractice

If a medical treatment provider causes a patient to suffer a disease or injury by his or her negligent conduct, that health care professional may be guilty of medical malpractice.  Even if a patient already suffers from a disease or injury, the treatment provider may still face liability for malpractice if his or her conduct increases a patient's risk of harm or causes the condition to worsen.  Some of the more common medical mistakes include:

• Failure to diagnose and properly treat medical emergencies.  In emergency situations prompt and correct treatment is essential.
   
• Surgical mistakes.  A slip of the knife can cause severe problems.  Sometimes medical instruments or sponges are left inside a patient after surgery by mistake.
   
• Errors with medication or treatment.  A wrong prescription or treatment can cause serious injury or illness.
   
• Delays in diagnosis.  Many times diagnostic delay can have dire consequences, especially in the case of various types of cancer.
   
• Birth injuries.  Malpractice can often occur during labor.  Complications arise that require immediate and proper reactions from doctors and nurses.  Cerebral Palsy and Erb's Palsy cases sometimes arise as a result of such medical mistakes.
   
• Failure to advise of diagnosis.  A patient has the right to know the diagnosis so that proper treatment options may be assessed.
   
• Lack of Informed Consent.  A patient has the right to understand the risks associated with a particular type of treatment, and whether there are other reasonable treatment alternatives from which to choose.
   
• Abandonment.  A treatment provider cannot always simply stop treating a patient, especially in emergency situations.

If you or a loved one has suffered an injury, illness or death that may have been the fault of a medical care provider, call the Elderkin Law Firm at 1-814-456-4000 or click here for a FREE online case evaluation.  The initial consultation is free of charge.  In many cases a lawsuit must be filed before an applicable expiration date, known as a statute of limitations.  So please call right away to ensure that you do not forfeit your right to possible compensation.

Personal Injury and Wrongful Death Litigation Department members:  Robert C. LeSuer, Craig A. Markham, Kenneth G. Vasil, and Lori R. Miller.