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Medical mistakes are made more often than most people realize. These errors can lead to serious injury, delayed treatment, and prolonged illness for patients that otherwise would have had much more desirable outcomes if they had been in better hands. The Tampa doctor error lawyers at Freidin Brown, P.A. specialize in helping victims of medical malpractice, and have been advocating for our patients’ best interests for more than 45 years.
The Seven Most Common Types of Doctor Errors
- Diagnostic errors—Failure to diagnose, late diagnosis, and diagnosing a patient with an illness or injury they do not have can all lead to serious injuries or illnesses. Examples include failing to order tests, failing to address a patient’s symptoms or complaints, and delayed diagnosis of cancer due to improper screening.
- Medication errors—One of the most common medical errors is prescribing a patient with the wrong medication or mix of medications, or the wrong dose. Certain medications cannot be taken together, and it is the doctor’s responsibility to know this. Medication errors can stem from poor communication with the patient, nursing or pharmaceutical errors, or simply a doctor’s failing abilities.
- Surgical errors—There is always a certain amount of risk that comes with surgery. However, surgeons have a medical standard of care they need to uphold. Examples of common surgical errors include leaving surgical equipment inside the patient, making an incision in the wrong location, nerve damage, and even operating on the wrong body part.
- Anesthesia errors—Anesthetizing a patient is required during surgery and certain other invasive procedures. Providing the wrong dose of medication, failure to monitor the patient, and other anesthesia errors can lead to serious injury or death.
- Delay in treatment—Even if a doctor makes an accurate diagnosis, a failure in providing immediate treatment to various conditions can lead to serious illness or death.
- Improper follow up treatment—It is the doctor and medical team’s duty to continue to provide treatment and monitor their patients in the hours, days, weeks, or months following a surgery or other medical procedure, as complications can arise during the patient’s recovery that may require swift intervention.
- Birth injury errors—Babies and mothers alike often sustain preventable injuries during delivery, such as forceps lacerations and brachial palsy.
Get Justice for Medical Errors – Speak with a Tampa Lawyer!
Damages in a Doctor Error Malpractice Claim
Medical malpractice damages caused by a doctor’s error may include the following:
- Medical expenses
- Future medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Lost earning capacity due to disability
- Emotional distress
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of joy of life
And in the case of a wrongful death:
- Lost lifetime earnings
- Loss of consortium
- Funeral and burial expenses
Call a Tampa Doctor Error Lawyer Today
If you or a loved one were harmed due to medical negligence from a doctor’s error, we urge you to explore your options for compensation, which can help pay for your medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering, and other damages. To get started today, contact our Tampa doctor error lawyer at Freidin Brown, P.A. to schedule a free consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions About Doctor Error
Our firm can answer FAQs about doctor error cases in Tampa, including:
Can a Tampa doctor be liable for failing to communicate test results directly to me?
Yes. Doctors have a duty not only to order tests but to review and communicate significant findings. In Tampa, practices affiliated with major hospital networks, communication breakdowns between labs and physicians can delay care. If that delay worsened your condition, it may support a medical malpractice claim filed by your Tampa doctor error lawyer.
Can documentation errors in my Tampa medical chart affect my medical malpractice case?
Yes. Inconsistent entries, missing notes, or altered timestamps can significantly impact liability analysis. Tampa doctor error claims handled by the attorneys at our firm often hinge on chart integrity and the timing of decisions. Early record preservation is critical to protect the value of a claim.
How do insurance companies evaluate Tampa doctor error claims?
Insurers assess whether the alleged error clearly deviates from accepted practice and whether documented harm can be directly linked to that deviation. In Tampa doctor error cases, insurers often challenge causation first. Our Tampa doctor error lawyers prepare medical expert analysis early to counter those arguments.
Do I have a doctor error claim in Tampa if my doctor relied on incorrect information from hospital staff?
Doctors remain responsible for exercising independent medical judgment. If a Tampa physician adopted flawed information without verification and harm followed, liability may still attach. A Tampa doctor error attorney at Freidin Brown P. A investigates who supplied the information and whether reasonable safeguards were ignored.