Goldsboro Medical Malpractice Lawyers

Placing yourself under the care of a medical practitioner or any health care provider comes with the expectation that you will receive competent service and treatment. Your care should align with best practices in the provider’s field. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. In today’s society, medical errors and negligence do occur, causing injury and even death in patients. This is called medical malpractice and researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine have claimed that it is the third leading cause of death in this country. The term “never event” was coined to describe the type of medical incidents that should never occur; they are negligence-based events that can lead to patient injury and death. 

Medical malpractice cases are extremely complex. They demand the services of experienced and qualified attorneys who understand the pertinent laws, how to fully investigate such cases, how to prove them in court through documentation and expert evidence, and how to help injured patients or the families of deceased patients who have died in these cases seek compensation for their losses. At Strickland Agner Pittman, our team is well equipped to help you hold medical providers accountable in claims and lawsuits.

Medical Malpractice in North Carolina

Medical errors and negligence can occur in many scenarios by many different practitioners and professionals. 

Examples of medical malpractice can include:

• Misdiagnosis: Occurs when a healthcare provider incorrectly diagnoses a condition, leading to incorrect or delayed treatment, potentially worsening the patient's condition.
• Delayed Diagnosis: This happens when a healthcare provider fails to diagnose a condition in a timely manner, leading to delayed treatment and potentially allowing the condition to progress to a more severe stage.
• Surgical Errors: Surgical errors can include mistakes during surgery such as operating on the wrong body part, leaving surgical instruments inside the patient, or performing surgery on the wrong patient.
• Emergency Room Errors: Errors that occur in emergency room settings, such as failure to treat a patient in a timely manner, miscommunication among staff, or improper assessment of a patient's condition.
• Medication Errors: This involves mistakes in prescribing, dispensing, or administering medication. It can include giving the wrong medication, incorrect dosage, or failure to consider potential drug interactions or allergies.
• Anesthesia Errors: Errors related to the administration of anesthesia, such as administering too much or too little anesthesia, failure to monitor the patient's vital signs during surgery, or improper intubation.
• Pharmacy Errors: Mistakes made by pharmacists or pharmacy staff, such as dispensing the wrong medication or dosage, mislabeling medication, or failing to provide proper instructions to the patient.
• Birth Injuries: Injuries sustained by a newborn or mother during childbirth due to negligence or improper medical care. This can include complications such as cerebral palsy, brachial plexus injuries, or hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.
• Postoperative Negligence: Negligence in the postoperative care of a patient, such as failure to monitor for complications, inadequate wound care, or failure to provide proper instructions for recovery.

Errors and negligence can be committed not only by physicians and surgeons but nurses, lab technicians, therapists, dentists, cosmetic surgeons, psychiatrists, chiropractors, and any other healthcare practitioner. Hospitals can also be held responsible for medical malpractice depending on the circumstances.

Standard of Care by Medical/Healthcare Professionals

These cases are based on evidence that the practitioner failed to meet the accepted standard of care established in his or her field. Standard of care refers to the concept that practitioners possess the training, skills, and ability required in their fields, that they use reasonable care in applying that knowledge and skill, and their best judgment is used in treating and caring for the patient. 

Examples of deviations from accepted standards of care could include giving a patient the wrong medication or wrong dose of medication, failing to order or interpret proper diagnostic tests, wrong-site surgery, failing to send the patient to a specialist, and failing to recognize symptoms of a disease or negative medical condition. This list is far from exhaustive; errors, negligence, and lack of proper judgment can occur in countless ways. 

Who is Liable for Medical Malpractice in North Carolina?

In North Carolina, several parties can potentially be held liable for medical malpractice:

• Healthcare Providers: This includes doctors, surgeons, nurses, anesthesiologists, pharmacists, and other medical professionals who directly provide care to patients.
• Hospitals and Medical Facilities: Hospitals can be held liable for the actions of their employees, including doctors, nurses, and other staff members. Additionally, hospitals can be held accountable for issues related to their facilities, equipment, policies, and procedures.
• Medical Corporations or Practices: In cases where healthcare providers are part of a medical corporation or practice, the entity itself can be held liable for the negligence of its employees or agents.
• Third-Party Contractors: Sometimes, healthcare providers may contract with third-party companies or individuals for certain services, such as medical imaging or laboratory testing. If negligence occurs in these contracted services, both the healthcare provider and the third-party contractor may be held liable.
• Manufacturers of Medical Devices or Pharmaceuticals: In cases where medical malpractice involves defective medical devices or drugs, the manufacturers of these products may also be held liable for the harm caused to patients.

Turn to a Trusted Medical Malpractice Firm

Medical malpractice claims and lawsuits are among the most challenging in the personal injury field. You will need a law firm that knows what it takes to build these cases through the meticulous process of gathering proper evidence that will stand up in court. 

Our team puts experience and dedication on your side in seeking the compensation you deserve for such damages as your medical expenses, pain and suffering, lost income, and more. 

Learn more about your case by speaking with a Goldsboro medical malpractice attorney in a free consultation. Contact Strickland Agner Pittman at (919) 893-0090 or submit our online contact form today.