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Medical treatment often involves multiple medical people and can take place across different offices and facilities. Files, test results, reports, and other documents are shared via email and fax, and there are phone calls, conferences, and meetings to coordinate treatment. With so many people involved, it is an unfortunate reality that miscommunications are bound to happen. While many of these miscommunications are harmless, some miscommunication can result in serious harm to the patient. If you have suffered as a result of a miscommunication, a Montana medical malpractice lawyer may be able to help you get fair compensation for your pain and suffering.
How Communication Errors Can Occur
Most medical treatment requires a high level of communication between various parties:
- Communication between doctors, nurses, and other medical staff
- Communication between the doctor and the lab handling any testing results
- Communication between the hospital and the doctor
- Communication between various doctors when specialists are needed
- Communication between the doctor and the pharmacy
When communication breaks down in any way among any of these people, it can result in misdiagnosis, medication errors, surgical errors, and other issues that can result in serious harm to the patient. For many medical conditions, time is of the essence and it is vital that patients promptly receive the treatment that they need. If you believe that you have suffered harm as a result of a miscommunication, a Montana medical malpractice lawyer can review your case and help you understand your options.
Examples of Communication Errors That Can Give Rise to a Medical Malpractice Claim
As mentioned above, any failure in communication between the various parties involved in your treatment can lead to medical malpractice. That said, it may be easier to understand if we provide some concrete examples:
- The lab performs the wrong tests
- Lab results are lost or sent to the wrong office
- Important information is misplaced in a report or file instead of highlighted
- A doctor or other medical specialist uses vague or inaccurate language in explaining their findings leading to misinterpretation
- The pharmacy misreads the prescription and provides the wrong medication or dosage
- The patient has multiple doctors who fail to coordinate treatment or share results and findings
- A nurse fails to accurately report the patient’s condition
These miscommunications can lead to serious harm to the patient, harms that could have been avoided had the medical professionals involved taken the time to ensure that they were communicating clearly and accurately. Unfortunately, these miscommunications can be difficult to identify and medical professionals will rarely admit that they failed in this regard. A Montana medical malpractice lawyer can identify the miscommunications that occurred and prove how they led to your harm.
Contact a Montana Medical Malpractice Lawyer at Ragain & Clark Today
When it comes to medical treatment, miscommunications can result in serious harm or even death. At Ragain & Clark, we have over 30 years of experience in identifying the miscommunications that lead to medical malpractice claims and we can help you get fair compensation for the harm you have suffered. To discuss your case and how we can help, call us today at 406-651-8888 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation.
