Medical malpractice occurs when healthcare providers fail to meet the accepted standard of care, resulting in a patient’s harm or death. Medical malpractice encompasses patient care at any level – from medication to surgery to hospital cleanliness.
While not every medical error is considered malpractice, when negligence directly leads to serious injury or death, the consequences can be devastating for patients and their families. The top five leading causes of death due to medical malpractice are listed below.
Misdiagnosis or Delayed Diagnosis
The most common and deadly form of medical malpractice, misdiagnosis occurs when a medical provider fails to identify a serious medical condition or mistakes it for a less harmful one. A delayed or incorrect diagnosis is just as harmful, as it prevents a patient from receiving timely and appropriate treatment, worsening a patient’s disease or condition.
Mistaking a heart attack for acid reflux or failing to diagnose cancer early allows a disease time to advance to a terminal stage. Infections, strokes, and sepsis are also commonly missed or diagnosed too late, resulting in preventable deaths.
Surgical Errors
Surgical errors are among the most serious forms of medical malpractice and can quickly turn a standard procedure into a life-threatening emergency. Two of the most devastating — and entirely preventable — types of surgical mistakes are wrong-site surgery and retained surgical objects.
Wrong-site surgery occurs when a surgeon operates on the wrong part of the body, or even the wrong patient, often due to miscommunication, failure to follow preoperative protocols, or clerical errors.
Retained surgical objects—such as sponges, clamps, or needles left inside a patient—can cause life-threatening infections, internal bleeding, chronic pain, and organ damage. Both errors are classified as “never events,” meaning they should never happen under proper standards of care.
Other surgical mistakes, including accidental laceration of internal organs or failure to control bleeding, can result in catastrophic complications. Postoperative errors, such as inadequate monitoring for hemorrhage, infection, or blood clots, can also go unnoticed and lead to sudden, preventable death.
Medication Errors
Medication-related malpractice occurs when the wrong drug or dosage is prescribed, administered to a patient with a known allergy, or when dangerous drug interactions are overlooked. In high-risk patients, even a single dose of the wrong medication can be lethal.
Overdoses of painkillers, anticoagulants, or sedatives are especially dangerous. Fatal medication errors can also occur when intravenous drugs are administered incorrectly or too quickly, overwhelming the body and leading to cardiac arrest or respiratory failure.
Anesthesia Errors
Administration of anesthesia must be carefully controlled, as it affects the central nervous system and the body’s vital functions, such as breathing and heart rate. Fatal anesthesia errors can involve failing to establish known allergies or conditions, administering too much anesthetic, or failing to monitor the patient’s oxygen levels or recognize signs of distress.
Hospital-Acquired Infections
Hospitals should be sterile environments, but lapses in hygiene can result in deadly infections. Failure to properly sterilize instruments, neglecting handwashing protocols, or using contaminated equipment can introduce bacteria into a patient’s body.
Once established, particularly in patients with weakened immune systems, infections can rapidly progress to sepsis, a life-threatening condition that causes organ failure and death. Infections from antibiotic-resistant bacteria, such as MRSA, are especially difficult to treat and often fatal when not caught early.
What if I Suspect Medical Malpractice Caused My Loved One’s Death?
If you believe that a medical error contributed to your loved one’s death, it is important to act quickly. Start by requesting copies of medical records and documenting details about their care, treatment, and hospital stays. You may also want to gather any discharge instructions, prescriptions, and communications from all your loved one’s healthcare providers. These records can be vital toward determining whether a mistake occurred and whether it would be considered malpractice.
Medical malpractice cases are complex and emotionally difficult, especially when they involve the wrongful death of a loved one. Consulting an experienced Silver Spring medical malpractice lawyer can help you understand your legal rights and options. Your lawyer can review the circumstances of your case, consult medical experts, and determine whether you have an eligible wrongful death claim.
While no legal action can replace your loss, pursuing a claim may hold negligent parties accountable and help secure needed financial support for your family’s future.
Our Silver Spring Medical Malpractice Lawyers at the Law Offices of Dr. Michael M. Wilson, M.D., J.D. & Associates Help Families Navigate Wrongful Death Claims
Losing a loved one due to a medical procedure meant to improve their health is a devastating event, and most likely preventable. If you believe your loved one’s death was caused by medical negligence, our experienced Silver Spring medical malpractice lawyers at the Law Offices of Dr. Michael M. Wilson, M.D., J.D. & Associates hold healthcare providers accountable. Call 202-223-4488 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation. Located in Washington, D.C., we serve clients throughout the surrounding areas, including Northern Virginia and Maryland.
