Medical Test Mistakes—A Common Cause Of Medical Malpractice In Issaquah
Medical testing helps doctors diagnose different types of serious conditions, manage a variety of dangerous disorders, and provide potentially life-saving treatments. When medical test errors happen, they pose serious risks to patients and their families. Our Issaquah medical malpractice attorneys explain the most common types of test mistakes, why they occur, and your rights in seeking compensation.
Medical Test Errors That Cause Harm To Patients
Medical malpractice poses serious risks to patients. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), it is a major public health threat and a leading cause of death and disability in the United States. Medical test mistakes are one of the most common ways it happens.
Doctors use blood work, MRIs or other scans, and other types of testing for a variety of reasons. The results can help to warn them of potentially dangerous health conditions and guide treatments. There is a high level of complexity involved in giving medical tests and interpreting the results. Mistakes and errors on the part of diagnostic technicians, doctors, nurses, or even medical test manufacturers that can put patients at risk include:
- Mislabeling of patient charts;
- Mislabeling of specimens;
- Data entry errors;
- Lack of effective communication;
- Lack of training;
- Lack of quality control;
- Cross-contamination; and
- Test calibration errors.
Patients may be misdiagnosed or fail to get the medical care they need as a result of the above or other test mistakes. In some cases, this could prove life-threatening.
Your Rights In Filing A Medical Malpractice Claim In Issaquah
Medical test mistakes often happen due to negligence. This means that medical providers involved either failed to take the appropriate actions to protect your health or failed to take precautions deemed reasonable by their peers in the medical community. Unfortunately, their behavior can have life-threatening impacts on your health.
Under the Washington State Code, you have the right to hold those at fault liable for damages you suffer. Compensation available in a medical malpractice claim includes:
- Payment of all current and future medical you incur due to test mistakes;
- Reimbursement for lost wages while you recover and any long-term impairments;
- Payment for your pain, suffering, lost enjoyment in life, and any scarring or disfigurement; and
- Additional amounts for funeral expenses and other costs, in the event medical test mistakes prove fatal to the patient.
To Protect Yourself And Your Rights In A Claim, Contact Our Issaquah Medical Malpractice Attorneys
Medical mistakes are common and can have major impacts on your health. Determining exactly how they occurred and who is responsible is typically challenging. At Injury Law Group NW, we provide the experienced, comprehensive legal service victims and their families need in this situation. We conduct our own investigations, determine who is at fault, and help you hold them liable in a claim.
If you suspect a medical test mistake or any other type of error occurred, call or contact our office online. To protect your health and your rights in a claim, request a free consultation with one of our Issaquah medical malpractice attorneys today.
Sources:
hncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK499956/
app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=7.70
