Medical malpractice occurs when a healthcare professional, such as a doctor, nurse, or hospital, fails to provide the standard of care that a competent medical professional would provide under similar circumstances, resulting in injury or harm to the patient. This means the healthcare provider made a mistake or acted negligently in a way that caused additional injury, worsened the patient's condition, or failed to properly diagnose and treat a medical problem. Examples include surgical errors, misdiagnosis, medication mistakes, failure to order necessary tests, or not following up on concerning symptoms.
In medical malpractice cases, injured patients must prove that their healthcare provider deviated from accepted medical standards and that this deviation directly caused their injuries or made their condition worse. These cases are particularly complex because they require expert medical testimony to explain what the proper standard of care should have been and how the defendant's actions fell short of that standard. Medical malpractice can result in serious consequences for patients, including permanent disabilities, prolonged suffering, additional medical expenses, and even death, which is why healthcare providers are required to carry malpractice insurance and why victims can seek substantial compensation for both their economic losses and pain and suffering.
