Pediatric Malpractice: When Children Suffer

Pediatric malpractice: When children suffer

When a child is sick or injured all a parent wants to do is to make it better. This often involves taking the child to the doctor. A parent trusts that a physician, or other medical professional, will properly diagnose and treat the child. Unfortunately, sometimes a health care provider makes a serious mistake in the diagnosis or treatment of a child. Instead of making things better, this negligence may cause the child further injury or illness.

What are examples of pediatric malpractice?

If you are a parent you know it can sometimes be challenging to determine if your child is sick, and if so what is causing him or her to feel ill. That is why we rely on doctors and other medical professionals. Unfortunately, they sometimes get it wrong. Diagnostic errors are some of the most common types of errors in pediatrics.

According to a survey of over 700 pediatricians and pediatric trainees reported in HealthDay, over 50 percent reported misdiagnosing a child at least once a month. Almost half said at least once a year those misdiagnoses were serious enough to cause harm to the child.

There are a variety of conditions that may be misdiagnosed, but common missed or mistaken diagnoses in children include:

• Appendicitis
• Meningitis
• Cancer
• Psychiatric disorders
• Gastrointestinal disease
• Testicular torsion
• Those involving medication side effects

One of the most frequent causes of misdiagnosis is a failure on the part of the medical provider to gather enough information. This includes reviewing the complete medical history and conducting a thorough examination.

In addition to errors in diagnosis, medical providers may be negligent in the treatment of childhood injures. These include injures like fractures, broken bones or burns.

Do I have a pediatric malpractice claim?

Malpractice claims generally allege medical negligence. To prove medical negligence you must show that the provider failed to meet the recognized standard of care, and that the provider’s negligence caused further injury or illness.

An attorney can assist you in evaluating your case and the options available to you. If you decide to pursue filing suit, a lawyer will advocate on your behalf.

At Miller & Wagner, LLP we are highly experienced in the area of medical malpractice. The firm has access to a number of medical experts who will help build your case. Attorney Dave Miller brings a unique perspective in that he spent 20 years defending physicians from malpractice claims before switching his focus to plaintiff’s claims. He knows how insurance companies review malpractice suits, and brings this experience in his evaluation of your case. Contact the firm for free initial consultation today.