Many residents of West Virginia deal with medical issues. Sadly, many have a situation involving medical malpractice or negligence. It’s important to understand the differences between these problems.
What is medical malpractice?
Medical malpractice is a problem that costs patients a lot. Doctors and other health care professionals commit malpractice when they are well aware that there are potentially negative consequences to their actions or inactions and that a patient suffers harm as a result. If a doctor fails to follow the proper protocols to take shortcuts and a patient is injured or dies as a result, they can be sued for medical malpractice.
Mistakes are common in instances of medical malpractice. However, not all medical mistakes are considered malpractice.
What is medical negligence?
Medical negligence occurs when a doctor accidentally causes harm to a patient. Negligence may occur when the doctor fails to take a certain action or makes a mistake. For example, if a doctor prescribes a specific medication to a patient without noting that its side effects could be dangerous for someone to take if they have certain medical conditions, it could constitute medical negligence.
How do medical malpractice and medical negligence differ?
It can be complex to determine whether there is a situation of malpractice or negligence. While both are similar, there are some differences. Both situations might involve mistakes made on the part of a doctor or other health care professional. However, further investigation into the matter could determine whether it’s a case of malpractice or negligence.
Malpractice occurs when a doctor knew the potential risks but acted regardless. Negligence could occur when the doctor made an honest mistake.
