What is Medical Malpractice?

Medical malpractice in its simplest terms is substandard care given by a medical professional; the substandard care must result in some type of harm or death for medical malpractice to have occurred.

2011-08-31

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL, August 31, 2011 (Press-News.org) Medical malpractice in its simplest terms is substandard care given by a medical professional; the substandard care must result in some type of harm or death for medical malpractice to have occurred. Though the definition of medical malpractice may seem quite simple, these types of legal cases are often very complex, and only very experienced, knowledgeable medical malpractice attorneys can "win" these cases in a court of law. A talented medical malpractice attorney will have the resources available to hire the best medical experts to testify on your behalf should you be the victim of a medical mistake.

People often think that a bad medical result is automatically medical malpractice, and that is not always the case. For instance, if you elect to have a nose job and the surgery does not leave you with the beautiful Jennifer Anniston nose you always dreamed of having, medical malpractice did not necessarily occur. If the doctor performed the surgery correctly, you healed well, and you simply don't like the outcome, then medical malpractice definitely did not occur. However, if the surgeon left a small sponge in your sinus cavity and sewed you up, then medical malpractice definitely occurred because leaving the sponge inside your body is substandard care (goes against what the general medical community would claim is standard or "good" care).

Obviously, some medical mistakes are more egregious than others. Leaving a sponge in a body cavity is an egregious form of medical malpractice. A more subtle form may be prescribing the wrong dose of a medication causing the patient to experience heart palpitations or dizziness. Regardless of the degree of medical error, it is important to know that there are attorneys out there who have chosen to practice this type of law. These attorneys usually have extensive medical knowledge. You may even find that some medical malpractice attorneys also have a medical degree. That is a combination hard to find. But if your lawyer is not a doctor, don't fear. A top-notch law firm will have the best experts at their disposal to provide testimony on your behalf that will help to prove that you were injured due to some type of medical mistake.

Some of the most common forms of medical malpractice include:
- Surgical errors
- Medication errors
- Emergency room errors
- Nursing home abuse and neglect
- Birth injuries
- Anesthesia errors

Medical professionals should be highly respected and admired as they have devoted their entire careers to helping save the lives of others. These jobs are highly stressful and usually carry with them very long, grueling hours without breaks. But these people are fallible. Unfortunately, medical mistakes cost lives.

If you live in the south Florida area and have been harmed due to medical malpractice, please visit the website of the medical malpractice attorneys at The Cochran Firm South Florida today to learn more about what you can do following a medical mistake.

Website: http://www.cochranfirmsouthflorida.com

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