When people talk of medical errors, they mostly mean things like misdiagnosis, surgical complications, and medication errors. These are all forms of medical errors that can lead to medical malpractice, but they aren't the only ones. There are other errors that you may not even be aware of, and examples include:

Premature Discharge

Determining the best time to discharge a patient is not easy. Moreover, doctors do not discharge patients when they are fully recovered, but when they when they have recovered enough to benefit from recovery outside the hospital. A patient should be discharged when his or her hospital stay doesn't significantly contribute to his or her recovery.  

However, there are times when patients are discharged too soon. This may happen, for example, if the hospital is overcrowded or the hospital isn't properly staffed. It gets even worse if you aren't given a proper followup; many of those who are prematurely discharged end up getting readmitted a short while later.

Hospital Accidents

Accidents can occur in hospitals, just like they can occur in other places. However, some hospital accidents aren't real "accidents," but occur due to the negligence of hospitals. For example, malfunctioning medical equipment can cause serious injuries.

Consider the case of a defibrillator failing to work when it is needed; it can lead to serious heart complications or even death. If it turns out that the existence of the malfunctioning equipment was occasioned by the hospital's negligence, then you may have a medical malpractice case.

Infections in the Hospital

Although the hospital is supposed to make you well, it can also make you sick if you get infected while getting treated. The risk of infection is higher for inpatients than for outpatients. Infections occur via various channels such as contaminated equipment or transfer of germs from sick medical personnel.

Again, you may only have a case of medical negligence if your infection occurs due to the negligence of the hospital or any of its staff members. For example, you may have a claim if your immunity is compromised and the hospital lets a sick nurse attend to you, and he or she infects you.

The first thing you need to do if a hospital's negligence causes you injury is to get treatment to remedy the situation. After that, you contact a medical malpractice lawyer to analyze your case and help you decide whether you have a case or not. Note that these cases tend to be very complicated, and you shouldn't submit a demand letter without consulting a lawyer first. 

For more information, contact Geoffrey S. Gulinson & Associates PC or a similar firm.