Texas Medical Malpractice Attorneys

The Texas Medical Board reviews about 9,000 complaints per year regarding medical malpractice. Some of the most common types of medical malpractice in Texas include:

Misdiagnosis or Delayed Diagnosis

Misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis occurs when a healthcare provider fails to accurately identify a patient’s condition in a timely manner. This can happen when a doctor dismisses symptoms, misinterprets test results, or fails to order the appropriate diagnostic tests.

As a result, the patient may not receive the necessary treatment, allowing their condition to worsen or even become life-threatening.

Examples of misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis include:

• Misdiagnosing a heart attack as indigestion
• Failing to detect cancer in its early stages
• Misinterpreting radiological scans or lab results

The consequences of misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis can be severe, leading to prolonged suffering, advanced disease progression, or even wrongful death.

Surgical Errors

Surgical errors are mistakes made during surgical procedures that can cause significant harm to patients. These errors can occur due to negligence, lack of proper training, or communication breakdowns among the surgical team.

Examples of surgical errors include:

• Operating on the wrong body part or wrong patient
• Leaving surgical instruments or sponges inside the patient’s body
• Damaging nerves, organs, or blood vessels during surgery
• Administering incorrect anesthesia dosage

Surgical errors can result in serious complications, such as infections, excessive bleeding, organ damage, or even paralysis.

Medication Errors

Medication errors involve mistakes in prescribing, dispensing, or administering medications to patients. These errors can occur at various stages, from the initial prescription by the doctor to the administration by a nurse or pharmacist.

Examples of medication errors include:

• Prescribing the wrong medication or incorrect dosage
• Failing to consider a patient’s allergies or drug interactions
• Mislabeling or confusing medications
• Administering medication through the wrong route (e.g., orally instead of intravenously)

Medication errors can lead to adverse drug reactions, overdoses, or a failure to treat the underlying condition effectively.

Birth Injuries

Birth injuries are a type of medical malpractice that occurs during pregnancy, labor, or delivery. The negligence of obstetricians, gynecologists, nurses, or other medical professionals involved in the birthing process can cause these injuries.

Examples of birth injuries include:

• Cerebral palsy due to lack of oxygen during delivery
• Brachial plexus injuries from improper use of forceps or vacuum extractors
• Fractures or lacerations caused by rough handling of the newborn
• Failure to monitor fetal distress or perform a timely C-section

Birth injuries can have lifelong consequences for the child, such as developmental delays, physical disabilities, or cognitive impairments.

Failure to Obtain Informed Consent

Informed consent involves providing patients with comprehensive information about their diagnosis, treatment options, risks, and benefits, allowing them to make informed decisions about their care. Failure to obtain informed consent constitutes medical malpractice.

Examples of failure to obtain informed consent include:

• Not disclosing all potential risks and side effects of a procedure or medication
• Performing a procedure or treatment without the patient’s permission
• Pressuring a patient into making a decision without adequate information
• Failing to provide alternative treatment options

When healthcare providers fail to obtain informed consent, they violate the patient’s right to autonomy and self-determination. This can lead to unwanted medical interventions and a breakdown of trust between the patient and the healthcare provider.