We put an enormous amount of faith into the medical system, trusting that each doctor and nurse involved in our care is competent and well-trained. But the reality is that even the most intelligent, experienced doctors can make bad decisions and at times be careless.
Hospital negligence occurs as well.
Respected studies show that medical mistakes happen far too often, with serious and life-threatening errors going unnoticed or unreported. Patients and family members of patients should use their instincts when faced with unexplained symptoms or a diagnosis that seems too mild. If something doesn't seem right, speak up about it. See another doctor if necessary. Many of the medical malpractice cases are "failure to diagnose" or "misdiagnosis" cases. With diligence and an earlier correct diagnosis, thousands of deaths could have been prevented. When dealing with misdiagnosis of mild problems, there may not be devastating consequences. However, when a doctor fails to identify signs of cancer, heart disease, aneurysm, stroke, or other serious conditions, the consequences can lead to unneeded surgeries, long hospital stays, unnecessary pain and suffering or even be fatal.
Other types of medical malpractice errors include mistakes during surgery, failure to sterilize leading to serious infection, failure to obtain informed consent for treatment, unusual delay in administering treatments, failure to treat, failure to follow-up, medication errors, birth injuries during labor and delivery, and wrongful death cases.