The Most Common Medical Errors in New York City

Posted in Medical malpractice on May 18, 2021

Medical errors are common throughout the United States.

About 100,000 to 200,000 deaths each year are attributed to medical errors. A more recent study suggests that up to 440,000 deaths annually are caused by medical errors. Johns Hopkins found that medical errors are the third leading cause of death in the United States.

One study of hospital admissions in New York found medical errors contributed to preventable adverse events in 58 percent of the cases reviewed. A medical error may or may not result in harm to the patient. However, most instances of medical error cause some harm.

What Are the Most Common Medical Errors?

Many studies have analyzed the types of medical errors that are most common in hospitals and other medical facilities. An adverse event can occur in any health care setting.

Common medical errors include:

1. Diagnostic Errors

Diagnostic errors are very common. A physician may misdiagnose a patient. Delays in diagnosis are also common medical errors.

Mistakes and errors in diagnosing a patient can have catastrophic consequences. The patient’s illness or injury may worsen without treatment. If the doctor diagnoses the wrong condition, the patient may receive unnecessary treatment and medications, which could cause injuries and harm.

2. Medication Errors

Errors and mistakes with medication can occur at every level of patient care. Hospitals, physicians, nurses, and pharmacists can make mistakes with medications. The patient may be given the wrong medication, no medication, or the incorrect dose of medication.

3. Surgical Errors

Surgical errors are some of the most common types of medical errors. Common surgical errors include operating on the incorrect site, leaving instruments inside the patient, failing to monitor the patient after surgery, and failing to perform a risk assessment before surgery.

4. Anesthesia Errors

During surgery, errors with anesthesia can cause a patient to wake up too soon. Anesthesia errors can also cause a patient to sustain brain damage and other injuries due to incorrect medications or dosages. Failing to check for previous adverse events and failing to monitor the patient are also common anesthesia errors.

5. Errors During Labor and Delivery

Medical errors during labor and delivery can cause severe birth injuries or harm to the mother. Failing to monitor the baby and the mother, check for risks, treat infections and other problems quickly, or perform a timely C-section can result in permanent disabilities for the child.

6. Infections

Hospital-acquired infections are also very common. Insufficient cleaning and sanitizing are often the cause of hospital infections. However, doctors and medical staff who fail to monitor a patient adequately often miss the early signs of an infection, which could lead to sepsis, permanent impairments, or death.

7. Failing to Order Tests

Physicians may not order the necessary tests to diagnose a condition. For example, they may fail to order blood tests, CT scans, MRIs, x-rays, and other procedures to identify the patient’s condition as soon as possible. Failing to order tests can result in delays in treatment.

What Causes Medical Errors?

The above list is just the top seven types of medical errors that occur in hospitals, doctor’s offices, and other health care settings. Physicians and other medical providers may make other mistakes that could lead to a patient’s injury or death.

Most causes of medical errors are preventable. Some errors and mistakes are the results of negligence. Other errors are careless or intentional.

The reasons for medical errors include, but are not limited to:

Failing to obtain informed consent
Lack of communication between the parties involved in the patient’s care and treatment
Failing to order diagnostic tests
Performing medical services under the influence of drugs or alcohol
Lack of adequate staff members to care for patients
Exhaustion and lack of sleep or rest
Technical failures, including defective medical devices and inexperience using medical devices
Reviewing the wrong patient’s chart or information
Lack of adequate supervision and training

Sadly, patients are the ones to suffer when medical errors occur. A patient may sustain a permanent impairment because of medical negligence or errors. In some cases, medical errors result in a wrongful death.

Filing Claims for Damages Caused by Medical Errors

If you were injured because of errors made by a medical provider, you might recover compensation for your damages by filing a medical malpractice claim.

The types of damages you may be entitled to compensation for include:

Physical injuries and harm
Emotional and mental distress and trauma
Cost of medical care and personal care
Pain and suffering
Permanent impairments or disfigurement
Loss of income and benefits
Decreased quality of life and loss of enjoyment of life
Other out-of-pocket financial losses caused by the medical malpractice

Your time to file a medical malpractice lawsuit is limited by New York’s statute of limitations. Therefore, do not delay seeking legal advice, or you could lose your right to hold the party who caused your injury responsible for their conduct.

Contact Our Personal Injury Law Firm in New York, NY

If you need legal assistance, contact the NYC personal injury lawyers at Law Offices of Jay S. Knispel Personal Injury Lawyers at your nearest location to schedule a free consultation.

We have two convenient locations in New York:

Law Offices of Jay S. Knispel Personal Injury Lawyers – New York City Office
450 7th Ave #409
New York, NY 10123
(212) 564-2800

Law Offices of Jay S. Knispel Personal Injury Lawyers – Brooklyn Office
26 Court St Suite 2511
Brooklyn, NY 11242
(718) 802-1600