Medical malpractice can take many forms in North Carolina. Some common causes include: 

• Misdiagnosis or Delayed Diagnosis: Misdiagnosis occurs when a healthcare provider incorrectly identifies a patient’s condition, while delayed diagnosis happens when a correct diagnosis is made later than it should have been. 
• Surgical Errors: These can include operating on the wrong body part, performing the wrong procedure, leaving surgical instruments inside the patient, or causing unnecessary damage to surrounding tissues or organs during surgery.
• Medication Mistakes: Medication errors can involve prescribing the wrong drug, administering the wrong dosage, or failing to check for drug interactions. These mistakes can result in serious adverse reactions or failure to treat the underlying condition effectively.
• Birth Injuries: Errors during pregnancy, labor, or delivery can lead to injuries to the mother or child. These might include failure to monitor fetal distress, improper use of delivery tools, or delayed C-section decisions.
• Anesthesia Errors: Mistakes in administering anesthesia can have severe consequences, including brain damage, organ failure, or death. These errors may involve giving too much or too little anesthesia, failing to monitor the patient properly, or not accounting for the patient’s medical history.
• Lack of Informed Consent: Healthcare providers must inform patients about the potential risks and benefits of proposed treatments or procedures. Failure to obtain proper informed consent before proceeding with treatment can be grounds for a malpractice claim.
• Poor Follow-up or Inadequate Aftercare: Inadequate post-treatment care can lead to complications, infections, or failure to identify emerging problems. This might include premature discharge from the hospital, failure to provide proper instructions for home care, or neglecting to schedule necessary follow-up appointments.

 Each of these situations can lead to serious health complications, prolonged recovery times, and in some cases, permanent disability or death.