When we use the the term medical complication, we typically are referring to an unplanned or unexpected outcome from medical treatment. All medical care and treatment involve risks, such as developing an infection after surgery. While most risks of medical treatment are known and can be avoided with careful and proper treatment, some unanticipated outcomes of medical treatment are due to medical negligence and should have been avoided.
Medical malpractice is another way of saying that the medical provider failed to provide the care that is expected of reasonable medical providers in the same or similar medical specialty under similar circumstances, which is referred to as the standard of care. Medical care can be an art as well as a science, and therefore competent medical providers may differ in the manner in which they provide care and still be providing care that is reasonable under the circumstances. For instance, one surgeon may perform an operation in a particular manner, and another surgeon may perform the procedure differently, but both methods of performing the procedure may be reasonable and acceptable. However, a surgeon may deviate so much from the norm that no reasonable surgeon would have performed the procedure in that manner – that’s when it may be said that medical malpractice (medical negligence) has occurred.
When a medical complication happens, or an adverse event occurs as a result of medical treatment, the medical provider may not fully (or honestly) explain to the patient why they suffered an unexpected and harmful result. The unexpected may happen during or immediately after a medical procedure, or it may occur sometime later. For example, a surgeon may unintentionally but negligently cut into an area adjacent to the intended surgical area that immediately became known to the surgeon, or the error may be discovered days later when the patient develops an unexpected infection and medical testing indicates the error that was made during surgery. Sometimes the negligent surgeon will tell the patient that their infection was a known complication from surgery, without telling the patent that the surgeon’s avoidable mistake led to the infection.
When should you contact a medical malpractice lawyer? If you suffered a bad or unexpected outcome from a medical procedure, even if you were told ahead of time that the particular outcome was a known risk of the medical procedure, you should promptly contact a local medical malpractive lawyer who may investigate your possible medical malpractice claim for you and represent you in a medical malpractice case, if appropriate.
If you or a loved one suffered harm from medical treatment in the United States, you should promptly find a medical malpractice lawyer in your state who may investigate your medical negligence claim for you and represent you or your loved one in a medical malpractice case, if appropriate.
Click on the “Contact Us Now” tab to the right, visit our website, or call us toll-free in the United States at 800-295-3959 to find medical malpractice attorneys in your state who may assist you.
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