What Is an Example of Negligence in Healthcare?

Healthcare professionals have a duty to provide safe and effective care to their patients. When they fall short of this responsibility, their actions can sometimes meet the definition of negligence, in which case they may be financially liable for their patients’ negative health outcomes. Here’s what you need to know about how negligence arises in healthcare settings.

What Is Negligence?

Negligence occurs when someone fails to act with the care that a reasonably careful person would use in a similar situation. It involves causing harm to another person by doing something carelessly or failing to do something necessary. 

In healthcare, negligence happens when a healthcare provider fails to provide treatment meeting the standard of care that a competent professional would provide under similar circumstances. This could be a doctor misdiagnosing a condition, a nurse administering the wrong medication, or a hospital not keeping its facilities clean. Negligence in healthcare – also known as medical malpractice – is particularly serious because the consequences can be so severe. 

Examples of Negligence in Healthcare

Negligence in the medical field can lead to unnecessary suffering and patient complications. Here are some common examples of negligence in healthcare:

• Misdiagnosis: Incorrectly identifying a patient’s condition, leading to the wrong treatment
• Delayed Diagnosis: Taking too long to identify a condition, causing it to worsen
• Surgical Errors: Making mistakes during surgery, such as operating on the wrong body part
• Medication Errors: Prescribing or administering the wrong medication or dosage
• Childbirth Injuries: Making mistakes during childbirth that harm the baby or mother
• Failure to Treat: Recognizing a health problem but failing to take appropriate action to treat it

How to Prove Healthcare Negligence

Proving healthcare negligence can be challenging because the field of medicine is so complex. When something goes wrong, determining exactly what happened and who is at fault isn’t always straightforward. Doctors and nurses use a lot of medical jargon that can make it hard to understand whether the care a patient received met the required standard of care.

This is where an experienced lawyer can make a big difference. A good lawyer knows how to cut through the jargon and get to the heart of the matter. They work with medical experts who can look at the details of your care and explain what went wrong in a way that everyone can understand. These experts can determine if the healthcare provider made mistakes that a competent professional would not have made under the same circumstances. With a lawyer and the right medical experts on your side, you have a much better chance of proving healthcare negligence and getting the justice you deserve.

Contact a Michigan Medical Negligence Lawyer Today

If you believe you or someone you love has been the victim of healthcare negligence in Michigan, don’t wait to seek help. The team with Giroux Pappas Trial Attorneys is ready to listen to your story and guide you through your legal options. We have a strong history of supporting injured patients like you, and we’re committed to fighting for the justice you deserve. Contact us today for a free initial consultation, and let’s discuss how we can help you with your case.