There are many clinical malpractice claims filed in Ireland each year, despite the standard of healthcare in Ireland being very high. Irish doctors and nurses work exceptionally hard to ensure that their patients receive the best level of care; however mistakes can be made which can lead to patients suffering injuries. Diseases and medical conditions may be misdiagnosed, and administration mistakes can cause patients to suffer unnecessarily.
When a mistake is made which causes a patient to be injured or an existing medical condition to deteriorate when it could have been avoided, it may be possible to claim compensation for clinical malpractice. If you suspect that you have been a victim of clinical malpractice you should consult a specialist clinical malpractice solicitor for advice about making a claim for clinical malpractice compensation.
What is Clinical Malpractice?
Clinical malpractice is defined as a failure in a duty of care to a patient which results in an injury being sustained or the patient coming to harm.
Many medical procedures have associated risks and there is no guarantee that any treatment plan will be 100 per cent effective. Medical treatments can have unwanted and even unpredictable side effects and medical complications can arise which no doctor would be able to foresee or prevent. However when a doctor commits a mistake, displays poor professional performance, takes a course of action which causes a patient harm or there is a failure to diagnose illness which any competent doctor would be expected to identify, it is classed as clinical negligence and the victim should be eligible to claim clinical malpractice compensation.
In Ireland, anyone claiming clinical malpractice compensation must be able to prove that ‘on the balance of probability’ that a doctor has acted in an unacceptable manner and that the standard of care fell below an acceptable standard. It must be demonstrated that under the circumstances, that an injury, loss or a deterioration in health could have been prevented if another course of action had been taken. Proving that there has been clinical negligence will require the services of a clinical malpractice solicitor, in addition to the opinions of medical experts to demonstrate that a doctor has failed in a duty of care to the patient.
Emergency Room Malpractice
Emergency room malpractice accounts for approximately 15 per cent of all clinical malpractice claims in Ireland. In an emergency room, doctors are often required to work under pressure and rarely have much time to spend with their patients. They are required to make quick judgement calls, and under such circumstances mistakes can often be made. However, despite the high pressure working conditions, the standard of medical care must remain high. When medical standards fall below an acceptable standard, and patients suffer harm as a direct result, claims for emergency room malpractice compensation can be made.
Misdiagnosis of Symptoms of Impending Heart Attack
The misdiagnosis of symptoms of impending heart attack can have dire consequences to a patient. If a visit to a doctor is made with symptoms of an impending heart attack, and a patient is discharged and later suffers from a heart attack, it could be deemed to be clinical malpractice. All doctors will be well aware of the symptoms of an impending cardiac infarction, yet these symptoms may be attributed to another health condition; especially in younger patients who would not be expected to have heart problems. If you believe that a doctor has made a misdiagnosis of symptoms of impending heart attack, you should speak to a clinical malpractice solicitor for advice about claiming compensation.
Difficult Birth and Clinical Malpractice
Having a baby should be a joyous occasion; however a difficult birth can be highly traumatic. A difficult birth can cause health problems for the mother and baby and the attending obstetrician or midwife should be particularly attentive to the condition of both mother and baby to take prompt and decisive action if any problems arise. When there is a failure in a duty of care and the mother or baby suffers an injury, it could be deemed to be clinical malpractice. Mistakes made by doctors or nurses during a difficult birth can have devastating consequences to mother and baby, and a clinical malpractice claim for compensation can be vital to ensure that proper medical care can be afforded.
Foreign Object Left in Patient
A foreign object left in patient during surgery can present a serious risk of infection and require the patient to undergo a second surgical procedure which increases the risk to a patient. A foreign object left in patient after surgery may even cause a serious injury, and cases of forceps and metal objects left in the body cavity are not unheard of. Claiming compensation for a foreign object left in patient may appear to be a clear case of clinical malpractice; however such claims are rarely straightforward.
Claiming compensation for a foreign object left in patient after surgery will depend on whether it can be proven that the health of the patient has suffered as a result of clinical malpractice, and a clinical malpractice solicitor should always be consulted for advice.
Free Clinical Malpractice Compensation Claims Advice
If you believe that the treatment you received in a hospital, emergency room or in a GP surgery was substandard or that you have suffered an injury due to clinical malpractice, you should seek the advice of a clinical malpractice solicitor about making a claim for clinical malpractice compensation.
Not all medical mistakes will result in successful claims for clinical malpractice compensation; however our clinical malpractice claims solicitors will help you to maximise your chances of making a successful claim. Our clinical malpractice solicitors will provide you with a free assessment of a potential clinical malpractice compensation claim, and will tell you what you must do next in order to initiate a claim for clinical malpractice compensation.
Call our clinical malpractice claims helpline today, or take advantage of our call back service by completing the call back request form below, and one of our experienced solicitors will be in touch with you at the appointed time.