Famous Examples of Medical Malpractice Cases

Medical malpractice can happen to anyone at any time. It’s something that can completely destroy a person and their family. But just know that you aren’t alone. In fact, there are some famous examples of medical malpractice cases, including those listed below. If you can relate to any of these, you might have a good case for a medical malpractice lawsuit. 

What is Medical Malpractice? 

Medical malpractice occurs when a doctor fails to provide a patient with the very best care. A physician who has acted in a way contrary to what their peers would normally do could be a case for medical malpractice. Medical negligence, another way to describe medical malpractice, may also occur if your doctor does any of the following:

• Makes a mistake during surgery.
• Fails to make the proper diagnosis.
• Doesn’t take your medical history into account.
• Disregards or incorrectly interprets laboratory results.
• Requires unnecessary surgeries.
• Prescribes the wrong medication. 
• Discharges you preemptively. 
• Fails to order the proper diagnostic tests. 

What are the Most Common Medical Malpractice Claims? 

There are many ways that a physician can commit medical malpractice that inadvertently cause pain and suffering to a patient. Thousands of medical malpractice claims are filed every year. Here are the most common:

• • Diagnosis errors: This includes misdiagnosis or the failure to diagnose a disease. 
  • Prescription errors: This can include prescribing the wrong medicine and/or the wrong dosage. 

• Negligence in childbirth: Childbirth negligence includes things like failure to provide a c-section when necessary, mishandling the baby, or low-quality care. 

• Surgical errors: Surgical errors can occur in several different ways, such as leaving medical equipment inside the body while performing surgery 

• Problems with Anesthesia: Includes improper placement or dosage of anesthesia that leads to brain or spinal damage. 

• Failure to Treat: This common form of medical negligence occurs when a doctor releases a patient from the hospital too early or fails to order the proper tests, for example.

Famous Examples of Medical Malpractice

Medical malpractice doesn’t only happen to regular people, it can happen to famous people too. Here are some cases of medical malpractice suits that were won by the celebrity claimant.

Julie Andrews’s Vocal Chords

Julie Andrews, famous for her roles as Maria in “The Sound of Music” and Mary Poppins, had some benign nodules on her vocal cords in 1997. After being told that surgery to remove the nodules would do no damage to her vocal chords, Andrews proceeded with the operation. Unfortunately, the surgery ended up scarring her vocal cords, leaving her voice completely changed. A settlement was reached, though the exact number is confidential.

Dennis Quaid’s Infant Twins

When Dennis Quaid and his wife Kimberly had twin babies in 2007, they were born with staph infections. When the doctor ordered 10 units of the blood thinner Heparin to treat the infection, workers incorrectly gave the babies 10,000 units of the medicine, causing them to turn blue and bleed. While the babies were okay in the end, Quaid and the hospital reached a settlement of $750,000. 

Dana Carvey’s Open Heart Surgery

During Dana Carvey’s open-heart surgery in 1997, doctors ended up performing the surgery on the wrong artery. The comedian discovered the error when he started experiencing the same symptoms just days after his surgery. He ended up suing and receiving $7.5 million, which he donated to charity. 

Get a Free Case Review

Medical malpractice is something that can happen to anyone. If you think it’s happened to you, don’t hesitate to give our office a call at 602-955-0055. One of our team members will review your case for free and give you guidance on getting compensation for your suffering.

– Massey Law Firm, your Scottsdale Medical Malpractice Attorneys