The Journal Pediatrics reports that about 44 in 100 pediatric hospital patients suffer from chronic illnesses like cancer, epilepsy, diabetes, and asthma. Consequently, these ill children are more likely to xperience an injury due to medical error during the course of treatment than pediatric patients who are treated at hospital for acute conditions.
The study defined a medical error as an abnormal complication to a specific medical procedure, an adverse reaction to medication, infections and bedsores, making it unclear the severity of the medical mistake that causes these conditions and whether or not they had long-term significant consequences. However, regardless of the limitations of the study, it stands to reason that the probability of a medical error occurring in a person who is chronically ill is going to be higher than someone who is not chronically dealing with a medical condition. Duration, itself, makes treatment of chronically ill pediatric patients more challenging, with the likelihood of infectious agent exposure being more likely as well.
Medical Malpractice Lawsuits Hold Doctors and Health Care Facilities Accountable for their Actions
Chronic conditions or not, medical errors are devastating to patients and their families causing emotional, physical, and financial hardships. And, regardless of the frequency of pediatric medical errors, doctors and healthcare officials should be held accountable for these lapses in judgment or care. Any time a patient suffers harm at the hands of his or her physician or health care facility due to negligence or inadequate care, a medical malpractice lawsuit may be in order. Not only does a medical malpractice suit provide families of these patients with much needed financial assistance, but it holds doctors and medical facilities accountable for medical errors and institutes improvements in the care of patients throughout Canada.
Medical errors can result from a variety of circumstances that might include:
- Prescription errors
- Dosage errors
- Failure to Monitor a Patient in a Timely Fashion
- Failure to Provide Appropriate Treatment for a Condition
Dealing with injury after a medical malpractice has occurred is doubly difficult as not only must you deal with the medical condition that you originally had, but you must then deal with a second medical condition on top of that one. And, with mounting medical expenses, not to mention possible missed work, filing a medical malpractice lawsuit may make sense to assure that you can take care of yourself or your loved one.
Contact a Medical Malpractice Lawyer Experienced in Medical Error Litigation for Assistance
If you or a loved one has suffered injury due to a medical error, don’t delay in contacting a medical malpractice lawyer to learn what your rights are and what compensation you may be eligible for. For the best in medical malpractice representation, make sure you seek out the assistance of a lawyer
experienced in prosecuting medical errors.
