Pikesville, MD Medical Malpractice Attorneys

Lawyers for Negligence by Doctors, Nurses, or Other Medical Providers in Pikesville, Maryland

There are multiple reasons why patients may suffer harm when receiving medical care. Doctors may make diagnostic errors that prevent them from recognizing a serious illness and providing the proper treatment. Medications may be prescribed, dispensed, or administered incorrectly. Other errors may be made when providing treatment in hospitals or emergency rooms or performing surgery. In situations where injuries occur because of the negligence of medical professionals, patients will need to understand their legal options and the steps they can take to obtain financial compensation.

The attorneys at Silverman Thompson work with people in Pikesville who have suffered harm because of medical negligence. With our experience in medical malpractice litigation, we can help clients file claims against negligent medical providers and hold them accountable for the harm they have caused. We fight to secure compensation that will address the damages suffered by people who have received negligent medical care.

Misdiagnosis and Delayed Diagnosis

An accurate diagnosis will usually serve as the foundation of effective medical care. Decisions about the treatment a person receives will be based on a doctor's understanding of their condition. When a doctor reaches an incorrect diagnosis or fails to make any diagnosis at all, a patient may not receive the treatment they need. If a doctor takes too long to arrive at the correct diagnosis, a patient may go without the treatment they needed, allowing a condition to progress to a more serious stage.

A misdiagnosis may occur during the process of evaluating a patient. A doctor may fail to gather the information needed to make a diagnosis, such as by failing to order medical tests. Incorrect diagnoses may also occur because of a doctor's misinterpretation of test results, their failure to perform a full examination or consider a patient's medical history, or their failure to follow up and address potential concerns.

The consequences of a misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis may depend on a patient's condition and the amount of time that passed before it was identified and treated. When a misdiagnosis involves cancer, a patient may not receive treatment that could have prevented the cancer from progressing or spreading. The misdiagnosis of heart attacks, strokes, sepsis, appendicitis, or other serious illnesses can also affect a patient's overall health or put their life at risk.

Medication Errors

Medications are an important part of medical care, but issues related to prescription drugs or other medicines can cause patients to suffer harm. Multiple professionals may play a role in the medications patients receive, and when they make medication errors, serious injuries can occur.

Prescribing Errors

When a doctor or other medical professional orders a medication, they may make mistakes, such as getting the name of a medication wrong or prescribing the wrong dose. If a doctor does not take steps to prevent an allergic reaction or a harmful interaction with another drug, the medication they prescribe may put a patient's health at risk.

Dispensing Errors

Once a prescription is written, a pharmacist will be responsible for filling it correctly, and they should also take steps to identify concerns that a prescriber may have overlooked. A pharmacist may provide someone with the wrong medication because two drugs have similar names. They may provide prescriptions at the wrong dosages, or they may fail to identify a harmful drug interaction or allergy that could affect a patient.

Administration Errors

In hospitals, emergency rooms, doctors' offices, or other medical facilities, nurses and other staff members will often administer medications to patients. When they make errors, patients can be injured. One patient may receive a medication that was intended for a different patient. A drug may be administered at the wrong time, which could affect a patient's treatment schedule. Other errors may occur when drugs are administered through IVs because patients are not monitored correctly or because drugs are delivered at the wrong rate.

Birth Injuries

During labor and delivery, injuries can occur because of the negligence of obstetricians, nurses, anesthesiologists, or other staff members at a hospital or medical facility. Birth injuries may not only affect a child's health and well-being in the years to come, but they can also put the health or life of a mother at risk.

Injuries to Children During Labor and Delivery

Some of the most catastrophic birth injuries will involve damage to a baby's brain. Oxygen deprivation during labor or delivery can lead to permanent brain damage and conditions such as cerebral palsy. This can occur when providers fail to recognize fetal distress, are slow to respond to changes in a child's vital signs, or do not perform a cesarean delivery within the right amount of time.

Other birth injuries may occur when obstetricians make mistakes while using tools like vacuum extractors or forceps. These instruments may be used with too much force, or a doctor may use the wrong techniques, which can lead to skull fractures, hemorrhaging in the brain, damage to facial nerves, and other types of injuries. If a child becomes lodged in the birth canal during delivery, brachial plexus injuries can occur that may affect the child's neck, shoulders, and arms.

Injuries to Mothers During or After Childbirth

Postpartum hemorrhaging, which involves excessive bleeding after a baby is delivered, can cause injuries that may affect a mother's overall health. Failure to recognize hemorrhaging, delays in providing treatment, or failing to prevent excessive blood loss can result in serious health concerns, the need for a hysterectomy, and, in some cases, maternal death.

Mothers may also suffer harm if preeclampsia is not recognized and treated correctly. This condition involves high blood pressure during pregnancy or labor. If providers do not monitor blood pressure correctly, fail to recognize the signs of preeclampsia, or do not provide the proper treatment for this condition, a mother could experience issues such as seizures, stroke, or organ failure.

Injuries may occur during cesarean sections. If incisions are not made correctly, they may result in damage to the bladder, ureters, or bowels. Infections may develop if the proper sterilization procedures were not followed. These issues can affect a mother's overall health and well-being.

Nursing Home Neglect and Abuse

Residents of nursing homes and long-term care facilities will rely on staff members to address their basic physical needs, provide medical care, and protect their safety. When facilities are understaffed, do not properly train or supervise employees, or do not provide the proper care for residents, serious injuries can occur.

Physical Neglect

Nursing home residents can suffer physical injuries because of a failure to provide basic care. Bedsores may develop when a person who is immobile is not repositioned regularly. Staff members should move patients who are confined to beds or wheelchairs into new positions to prevent these sores from occurring. Bedsores can become infected and put the health of an elderly person at risk.

Falls may also occur because of neglect. Staff members may fail to provide assistance, fail to supervise patients, or protect against tripping hazards or other issues that could lead to falls. Elderly nursing home residents may experience hip fractures, head injuries, or other serious injuries in falls.

Medication Mismanagement

Nursing home residents will often need to take multiple medications to address health issues. Errors in medication administration, such as giving the wrong drug to a person, providing them with the wrong dose, or failing to provide a medication at all, can have serious consequences.

Abuse

Staff members at nursing homes may intimidate, threaten, isolate, or otherwise mistreat residents. Emotional abuse may include shouting, humiliation, or deliberately refusing to provide a person with assistance. Physical abuse may also occur when staff members push, slap, or hit patients or use unnecessary restraints. Some residents may be targeted for sexual abuse, which can cause both physical and emotional harm.

Contact Our Pikesville Medical Malpractice Lawyers

At Silverman Thompson, we can help people who have been injured by medical negligence take steps to determine who was responsible, hold them accountable, and obtain financial compensation that will address a victim's damages. Contact our Pikesville, MD medical malpractice claim attorneys at 410-385-2225 and arrange a free consultation.