When you are feeling ill, you go to the doctor for relief. Unfortunately, going to the doctor doesn't always mean getting better. If you have been to the doctor and are still suffering, you might be entitled to receive compensation for your pain and suffering. While there are many different types of cases that correlate to medical malpractice, these five are the most common:

1. Diagnosis Issues

One of the more common types of cases is an issue with the diagnosis. Sometimes, the diagnosis is wrong completely. Other times, the diagnosis might come too late to offer treatment. Unfortunately, in these instances the patient suffers extreme symptoms and/or death before the doctor's realize what is going on. Finally, the doctor may wind up spending too much time treating symptoms and never come to a diagnosis. In all of these cases, the doctor may be at fault.

2. Medication Issues

Another more common type of case is a medication issue. In these situations, the doctor may prescribe the wrong medication entirely. They might also prescribe too much or too little medication, which can cause the underlying health condition to worsen. If too much medication is prescribed, the patient might suffer from severe side effects or develop new conditions. The doctor might also prescribe medication that the patient is allergic to or that has lethal side effects with other medications in their routine.

3. Anesthesia Issues

Patients might also suffer consequences due to anesthesia issues. Although these cases are not very common, they can—and do—happen. Anesthesia issues might occur due to too little or too much anesthesia. It might also be caused by giving a patient anesthesia that cannot handle it due to known medical conditions, such as breathing problems. Finally, issues might also occur due to equipment failure or contamination.

4. Test Result Issues

Another type of case is those with test result issues. These usually occur when the doctor simply overlooks test results. However, it might also occur because the test results were contaminated and the diagnosis was off.

5. Treatment Issues

Finally, treatment issues might be cause for a claim. In these cases, doctors usually simply dismiss symptoms and do not treat the patient. However, it might also occur due to discharging a patient prematurely or stopping treatment too early. It might also be caused by failing to follow-up with a patient.

As you can see, many different problems fall under the definition of medical malpractice. If you, or a loved one, is suffering due to a medical professional you may have a case on your hands. So contact an attorney to learn more about your options. 

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