What Is Medical Malpractice, Really?

Medical malpractice happens when a doctor, nurse, hospital, or other healthcare provider causes injury or death to a patient through a negligent act or omission. In simple terms: the care they provided fell below the standard of what a reasonably competent provider would have done under similar circumstances.

Common examples of medical malpractice include:

• Misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis
• Surgical errors
• Birth injuries
• Medication mistakes
• Anesthesia errors
• Failure to treat or monitor properly

It’s important to understand that not every bad outcome is malpractice. Medicine is complex, and sometimes things go wrong despite everyone’s best efforts. But when harm happens due to preventable mistakes, that’s when a medical malpractice lawyer can help determine if you have a case.