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The most common medical malpractice cases in South Carolina stem from surgical issues, catastrophic errors, adverse drug reactions, and birthing complications. Medical treatments, including surgeries and medicinal remedies, with undesired, harmful outcomes are referred to as adverse events and many of these qualify as medical malpractice. These incidents can vary in severity from mild to catastrophic, and can leave a patient with a permanent disability or result in a loss of life.
Anyone undergoing medical treatment should understand the scope of risks and be aware of which types of malpractice cases occur frequently in South Carolina. Knowing the basics about these preventable errors can prepare you to make informed medical and legal decisions if an adverse event should happen to you or a loved one.
Adverse Events Involving Surgical Errors
It is estimated that surgical error injuries related to foreign objects in the body occur 2,000 to 4,000 times per year in the U.S., including in South Carolina. All surgeries come with risk, but not all operations result in a severed nerve or medical instrument left in the wound. These harmful scenarios often meet the requirements for medical malpractice cases in South Carolina. While medical procedures can improve a person’s quality of life, treatments and surgeries that fall below the standard of care can result in impairment, pain, or another negative outcome.
Some of the reasons for filing a medical malpractice claim in South Carolina include:
- Foreign objects left in the body
- Cutting the wrong area of the body
- Operating on the wrong site in the body
- Performing the wrong surgery
Suing for a surgical error in South Carolina can help someone recover expenses associated with corrective or ongoing medical care, and holding the hospital or surgical center accountable for the error can help improve their medical procedures to prevent future surgical errors.
Catastrophic Medical Errors
These medical malpractice cases in South Carolina include any adverse event with a serious or ‘catastrophic’ error. Situations like this are sometimes referred to as sentinel events in medical malpractice cases and can result in extreme physical or psychological injury or death. The outcomes of catastrophic errors are life-changing, and whether they cause the loss of life, a limb or body part, or a lifestyle, the impact may not have even been an inherent risk of the procedure.
Examples of catastrophic malpractice errors in South Carolina include death after surgery, performing the wrong procedure, removing the incorrect body part, or severing a vital organ.
Adverse Drug Reactions
Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) from side effects, medication interactions, allergies, or incorrect dosages can result in serious harm. ADRs from malpractice do occur in South Carolina, and these medication errors can happen to anyone using drug therapy, recovering from surgery, or treating a health condition.
Birth Injuries
The birth of a child can be an unforgettable, albeit complicated, experience. Though many births go smoothly, some South Carolina parents-to-be may be surprised to learn that such a special time could be marred by malpractice. Birth injuries—not to be confused with genetic defects—are not all caused by a dereliction of duty, but when care is insufficient during or shortly after childbirth, malpractice may be at hand. These birth injuries can result from cognitive mistakes, improper use of medical devices, mishandling of the mother or child, medication errors, and neglect. Whatever the reason, the consequences of malpractice can linger for years after birth, causing disabilities and other adverse health conditions. Any family dealing with the emotional, physical, and financial pain of preventable birth injuries in South Carolina deserves to have their story heard and the consequences of the malpractice recognized.