Many types of medical malpractice involve surgical errors. These mistakes can range from operating on the wrong patient, body part, loss of surgical tools in the patient, to failing to provide adequate post-surgical care. In addition, unsanitary conditions can cause illness and serious infections.

A patient may experience deadly consequences when a physician provides the wrong treatment of a critical illness or injury.

When a doctor misdiagnoses a serious disease such as cancer, the consequences can be fatal. Patients whose cancer is detected and treated in the early stages have higher survival rates. Therefore, if a patient is not diagnosed when symptoms first appear, the disease is likely to progress to a stage where treatment is no longer effective.

If an anesthesiologist or nurse anesthetist makes a mistake, it can cause permanent injury, brain damage or even death. Common errors include failing to review the patient’s medical history or improperly monitoring vital signs during surgery.

Hospital patients develop infections more often than we imagine. For example, bacterial meningitis can be misdiagnosed as viral meningitis or even strep throat, which causes a delay in the appropriate treatment. Diagnosis might be delayed due to a failure to recognize symptoms or order the appropriate diagnostic tests.</p> <p>Another infection commonly missed is Sepsis. Sepsis can be life-threatening and cause death if it isn't diagnosed and treated promptly. When sepsis occurs due to medical negligence, patients (or their families in cases of death) may be able to file a medical malpractice claim against the doctor, hospital, or other responsible parties. Any infection can turn life-threatening. Some infections are caused by negligence, such as unsanitary conditions or implements.

A birth injury can result when a doctor or technician makes an error during pregnancy, labor and/or delivery. The most common type of birth injury is cerebral palsy, which may result when a newborn is deprived of oxygen during the birth process. Other mistakes that may cause birth injuries are improper monitoring or failing to perform a C-section when necessary.</p> <p>There is nothing more traumatic than your child suffering a birth injury. Many birth injuries cause serious medical problems that could end in lifetime disability.

Failure to diagnose and misdiagnosis of an illness or injury are the basis of many medical malpractice lawsuits. Misdiagnosis is not necessarily medical malpractice, and not all diagnostic errors point to a successful lawsuit. A misdiagnosis or failure to diagnose must result in improper medical care, delayed treatment, or no treatment, which in turn must result in a worsening of the patient's medical condition in order for it to be considered medical malpractice.

Hospital negligence and nursing error</p> <p>Failure to diagnose and properly treat life-threatening conditions</p> <p>Brain injuries due to anesthesia malpractice</p> <p>Spinal cord injuries due to surgical error or misdiagnosis of tumors or other spinal cord impingement</p> <p>Birth injuries caused by delivery-room error or a doctor's mistake</p> <p>Injuries to mothers sustained during labor and delivery