Many people associate medical malpractice lawsuits with surgeries gone wrong or unexpected fatalities. Indeed, a large number of people consider the legal route if the healthcare community wrongs them and causes lasting consequences.
However, seemingly trivial errors on a practitioner’s or organization’s part could also warrant legal action if they cause life-altering ripple effects. The goal is to obtain commensurate compensation for physical and mental health repercussions.
The following mistakes are not uncommon. That’s what makes it crucial for the larger community to identify them as wrongs and seek support and justice.
Not Ordering or Reviewing Suitable Tests for Diagnosis
In June 2025, the media reported the developments in the case of a 34-year-old man from Georgia who suffered a paralyzing stroke a few years ago. The person in question suffered this stroke during a chiropractic neck adjustment. Tragically, the involved physicians failed to diagnose his stroke, breaching the standard of care and changing his life forever.
In modern healthcare, diagnostics vary starkly from their older counterparts. Multiple tests and imaging facilities can astutely show underlying health conditions. Illnesses that belie a diagnosis have decreased in number. In these circumstances, failing to leverage available testing and making a diagnosis qualifies as medical malpractice.
Doctors can also face the brunt of blame if they don’t follow up on recommended testing. In some situations, like an aggressive cancer, the illness can escalate fast. It means the time between the issued testing and its follow-up is crucial to avoid endangering the patient’s health.
You can consult a medical malpractice attorney if you have suffered due to such conduct by your healthcare team. It may seem like a trivial oversight, but it falls under the scope of care a doctor or an institution must meet.
In such cases, the plaintiffs will require concrete supporting evidence that goes beyond the audit trail. According to Finch McCranie LLP, it is helpful to partner with subject matter experts to build a concrete case. They can highlight how the “error” impacted a patient’s health outcome.
Not Protecting Against Infections During Hospital Stay
What if you were admitted to a hospital for a specific procedure but ended up sicker than before?
Many patients catch infections during their hospital stay due to a suppressed immune system. The CDC reports that one in 31 patients develops at least one infection on any given day, from ventilator-associated events to surgical site concerns. However, the prevalence of these infections does not make them acceptable.
Last year, the BBC featured a story discussing how aging hospitals and delays in discharging patients aggravated the COVID-19 crisis. Some facilities lacked adequate provisions to isolate patients. It increased the chances of the infection spreading to other wards.
Although the pandemic may be behind us, poor safety standards in hospitals are a serious issue that continues to affect vulnerable patients. Newborn babies and older adults could have a higher risk of contracting infections in subpar settings.
The facility responsible for causing a severe infection during a patient’s stay can face a malpractice suit. It will require in-depth investigation and evidence gathering, which necessitates seeking competent legal counsel.
Not Checking for Drug Interactions or Contraindications
Polypharmacy is common among older adults with several health problems. Health practitioners are responsible for ensuring that these various medicines don’t interact negatively with one another. Any new drugs they prescribe must also not have an adverse reaction because of the other medications already in the system.
Likewise, some drugs have contraindications for specific sections of the population.
For example, Verywell Health notes that magnesium could interfere with drugs for blood pressure, causing a patient to experience a drastic drop. It may also affect the functioning of medicines for diabetes and thyroid malfunction.
These contraindications are only for magnesium, a readily available OTC supplement. The concerns for prescription drugs could be much more complicated, particularly for pregnant and breastfeeding women or those with comorbidities.
Medical practitioners who fail to consider these connections may inadvertently lead to serious repercussions in some patients. It could be a reasonable basis for a medical malpractice lawsuit.
Deciding whether to pursue legal counsel for any of the above scenarios can be confusing. Legal proceedings take time. Moreover, the process can be cumbersome.
It is a good idea to partner with experts in this field as they will have a network of healthcare professionals who can offer pertinent advice. Lawyers can leverage this network and highlight a valid connection between the negligence and your health impact, maximizing the chances of receiving fair compensation.
One can hope that incidents of medical malpractice fall in a changing world, where AI and related technologies are making diagnosis and monitoring easier and more thorough. In the meantime, staying alert and understanding one’s options is crucial for patients.
