Laurel Medical Malpractice Lawyers

Attorneys for Patients Injured by Medical Negligence in Laurel, MD

Patients who receive treatment at doctors' offices, emergency rooms, hospitals, or other medical facilities place their health and their lives in the hands of medical professionals. When a doctor, nurse, hospital, or other healthcare provider fails to provide the proper care, the consequences for patients can be serious. Severe injuries and health issues can occur because of medical negligence, and in some cases, the results can be fatal.

Medical malpractice can take many forms, but the common thread in these cases is the failure to provide the level of care that a patient deserved. For people who have been harmed by medical negligence in Laurel, the attorneys at Silverman Thompson can provide legal guidance and representation. We will make sure the correct procedures are followed in these cases, and we will fight to obtain the full compensation an injury victim needs.

Misdiagnosis and Diagnostic Errors

Diagnostic failures are among the most common forms of medical negligence. When a provider fails to identify a condition, identifies it too late, or diagnoses a patient with the wrong illness, a person may not receive the correct treatment, and their condition can get much worse. In some cases involving misdiagnosis, a condition may progress beyond the point where effective treatment is possible.

A missed cancer diagnosis is one of the most serious examples of diagnostic errors that can cause patients to suffer harm. Breast, lung, colon, and skin cancers that are caught at early stages may be treatable, but if a doctor fails to order the proper tests or misinterprets test results, they may not recognize these cancers. Their failure to diagnose a condition may allow a disease to advance to a stage where survival rates are much lower.

Similarly, a missed stroke diagnosis may occur if a doctor fails to recognize the signs of a neurological emergency and does not begin treatment within the proper time period. This can result in permanent neurological damage that could have been minimized with a proper diagnosis.

Infections and sepsis, heart attacks, pulmonary embolisms, and aortic dissections are all conditions where delayed or incorrect diagnoses can be fatal. Our legal team works with qualified medical professionals to determine whether a condition was misdiagnosed and the treatment that a person should have received if an accurate diagnosis had been made.

Medication Errors

Medication mistakes can occur at multiple points in the treatment process. They can cause patients to suffer serious harm due to allergic reactions, toxic overdoses, or dangerous drug interactions. Without the proper medications, a patient's condition may become worse, and they may experience harm that should have been prevented.

A doctor may make medication errors by prescribing the wrong medication, selecting an incorrect dose, or failing to account for a patient's allergies. Nurses who administer medications can make errors in dosage, timing, or the method of administration. Pharmacists may misread a prescription, dispense the wrong drug, or fail to counsel patients about dangerous interactions.

Hospital systems and pharmacies may be held responsible for medication errors that harm patients. Our attorneys will examine the chain of events that led to a medication mistake and identify every party that was negligent and caused a person to suffer harm.

Surgical Errors

Surgical negligence may involve multiple types of issues that can cause serious harm to patients. Wrong-site surgery may occur when surgeons operate on the wrong body part, and in some cases, procedures may be performed on the wrong patients. Leaving surgical instruments or sponges inside a patient after a procedure is another error that can lead to serious complications.

Surgical errors may also include mistakes that cause damage to nerves, blood vessels, or organs during a procedure. Anesthesia errors, including providing the wrong dose of anesthesia or failing to monitor a patient's vital signs, can lead to brain damage, heart problems, or other injuries.

Negligence may also cause harm to patients after a surgical procedure has been completed. This may include inadequate monitoring of a patient, failure to recognize signs of infection or surgical complications, or premature discharge from a medical facility. Our legal team will examine surgical procedures and their aftermath to determine whether surgical malpractice resulted in injuries.

Other Types of Medical Malpractice

Medical negligence can take many other forms, including:

• Birth Injuries: Negligence during labor and delivery can cause harm to both newborns and mothers. Oxygen deprivation may occur because of a failure to respond to fetal distress, delays in performing a cesarean section, or improper handling of an umbilical cord. These injuries can result in permanent neurological damage and developmental disorders like cerebral palsy. Mothers may suffer serious harm due to undiagnosed preeclampsia, postpartum hemorrhaging, or surgical errors during a cesarean delivery.
• Laboratory and Radiology Errors: When diagnostic tests are performed, their results will need to be interpreted correctly. A pathologist who misreads a biopsy, a radiologist who fails to identify a tumor, or a laboratory that processes specimens incorrectly can cause a patient's condition to go unrecognized.
• Nursing Home Negligence: Residents of nursing homes and long-term care facilities can suffer harm due to negligent care. Nursing home neglect may include the failure to prevent or treat bedsores, medication errors, inadequate supervision leading to falls, improper feeding and hydration, and failure to provide medical care. Patients may also suffer harm due to physical, emotional, or sexual abuse.
• Failure to Obtain Informed Consent: Before performing a medical procedure or beginning treatment, healthcare providers are required to explain what will be done and advise a patient of the risks and benefits. A patient must be given the information they need to make an informed decision. When a provider did not obtain proper informed consent, they may be held responsible for harm the patient has suffered.
• Emergency Room Errors: Triage failures, premature discharges of patients, failure to order diagnostic tests, and incorrect diagnoses of conditions like strokes, heart attacks, and sepsis may cause ER patients to suffer serious harm.

Contact Our Laurel, Maryland Medical Malpractice Attorneys

When medical negligence has resulted in injuries, the attorneys at Silverman Thompson can help a victim and their family understand their legal options. We will fight to secure full compensation for the damages that have been caused by the negligence of medical professionals. Contact our Laurel medical negligence lawyers at 410-385-2225 to set up a free consultation.