The 10 most common types of medical negligence we come across in Ireland

4 minute read

When we seek medical help, we trust professionals to deliver the best care possible. However, there are instances when the quality of care falls short, leading to potential harm. Recognising medical negligence can be challenging, as it’s not always clear whether the outcome was due to substandard care or unfortunate circumstances.

Augustus Cullen Law is a leading clinical negligence law firm

We are a leading clinical negligence law firm. In fact, our medical negligence department is one of the most respected in Ireland, having been involved in countless landmark cases. We even acted in the landmark case that is now applied to every medical negligence case in Ireland.

It could be said that we’ve “seen it all.” As a consequence of this depth of experience, we have identified the most common types of medical negligence in Dublin, the surrounding areas and indeed, the whole of Ireland.

In this blog post, we explore the common forms of medical negligence we deal with

1. Misdiagnosis

This occurs when a healthcare professional incorrectly identifies a patient’s condition, leading to inappropriate or no treatment. Misdiagnosis can result in the patient’s condition worsening, sometimes with life-threatening consequences.

2. Surgical Negligence

While surgery carries inherent risks, certain errors should never occur. These include leaving foreign objects inside patients, operating on the wrong body part and performing unnecessary surgeries.

3. Medication Errors

Mistakes in prescribing or dispensing medication can have serious consequences. Errors may include prescribing the wrong medication or dosage, combining incompatible medications, or administering medication to which the patient is allergic.

4. Pregnancy & Birth Injuries

These injuries can have life-altering consequences for both mother and child. They can range from cerebral palsy in the baby to vaginal tears in the mother.

5. Dental Negligence

Negligence isn’t limited to general healthcare. Poor dental care, including misdiagnosis, poorly performed procedures, or inadequate patient care can also lead to medical negligence claims.

6. Poor Medical Advice

Patients should be informed about risks, side effects and alternative treatments to make informed decisions. If a healthcare professional fails to provide this advice and the treatment results in harm, it may constitute medical negligence.

7. Missed Fractures

This form of negligence arises when a fracture is overlooked, often due to misread X-rays. The result can be prolonged pain, improper healing and potential disability. Prompt and accurate diagnosis is key to prevent complications.

8. Delayed Diagnosis of Cancer

Cancer is of course a very serious disease. However, many forms of cancer are very treatable if diagnosed in time. A failure or delay in diagnosing cancer can have severe consequences in terms of the patients future health and survival.

9. Nervous Shock Injuries

These refer to mental disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder or depression, resulting from witnessing a distressing event, like a loved one’s death due to medical negligence. Irish courts  recognise these as legitimate injuries, allowing victims to claim damages if negligence can be proven.

10. Defective Medical Equipment

This involves harm caused by faulty medical products, such as implants, drugs or prostheses. When manufacturers neglect their duty to ensure product safety and effectiveness, it can lead to significant patient impact, potentially warranting compensation claims.

Medical negligence can come in many forms

Medical negligence litigation is a highly complex area of law and it required true expertise to successfully manoeuvre the rigours of managing a case and achieving justice for an injured patient. Although this list offers some insight into the commonalities that our experts see on a daily basis, it fails to emphasise the unique nature of each patient’s case and the impact this has on the medical negligence claims process.

If you would like to know more about the medical negligence claims process, read: The medical negligence claims process in Dublin and Ireland.

Speak with a medical negligence solicitor today

If you feel that you have suffered as a result of negligent healthcare, we might be able to help. Visit Medical Negligence Claims to learn more or simply Contact Us for a no obligation exploratory chat with a solicitor who dedicates themselves to securing justice for those injured through clinical negligence.

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