INJURY | PERSONAL INJURY LAWYER | PERSONAL INJURY ATTORNEY | INJURIES

Pediatric malpractice occurs when healthcare personnel who work with children act unreasonably when diagnosing, treating and medicating children. “Acting unreasonably” is a legal phrase that courts focus on when determining malpractice. If a pediatrician or other hospital staff fail to act in a manner that a reasonable person would, meaning that they fail to properly care for, diagnose, treat and medicate a child’s injury in a reasonable manner, it might be a case of malpractice.

• failing to double check results even though the apparent results indicate a serious illness or complication
• knowingly using faulty or malfunctioning equipment
• misdiagnosing an illness even though there were other testing methods available
• failing to refer the patient to a specialist
• failing to provide appropriate treatment, even though the doctor was aware of the treatment
• failure to follow-up
• prescribing the wrong medicine
• losing or swapping test results and failing to follow-up

Pediatric malpractice is dangerous because any illness or injury left undiagnosed or untreated can become more painful, more serious, and very difficult to heal.

Doctors and other hospital staff have a duty to care for children to the best of their abilities. Pediatricians make mistakes, but making mistakes because of carelessness, laziness or deliberate ignorance is very harmful to everyone involved.

Pediatric malpractice is especially devastating when the wrong cannot be corrected, as in the case of cancer, amputating the wrong limb, and permanent brain injury. If cancer is not diagnosed in the earliest stages, it can be fatal. Amputations cannot be mended, and permanent brain injury due to faulty and dangerous birthing methods or incorrect treatment is a lifelong illness that affects more than just the patient. Chronic illnesses are painful, require regular physical therapy and burden families with heavy medical expenses.

If you or a loved one is a victim of pediatric malpractice, contact a personal injury lawyer who specializes in pediatric malpractice.