Servicing St. Catharines and all of Ontario
It’s easy to be in awe of Canadian medical professionals. The amount of training and knowledge they have and their capacity to help us heal when we are ill leads us to hold them in high esteem. But even these highly accomplished individuals can make mistakes and misdiagnose an issue a patient is presenting.
In one newspaper article on medical errors, one St. Catharines’ woman, who was herself an emergency room nurse, told the story of how she was initially misdiagnosed. After noticing she was bloated, constipated and had lost her appetite, the patient visited a family doctor who diagnosed suspected irritable bowel syndrome. Although the nurse knew that statistically her chance of having a more serious condition were low, she had a nagging feeling and requested that he send her for an ultrasound to check for possible ovarian cancer. After her request was denied three times, she visited a walk-in clinic for a second opinion. An ultrasound was performed and early stage, but aggressive ovarian cancer was discovered.
Sometimes a misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis is impossible to prevent. If symptoms could point to any number of conditions, discovering the correct one may take time and trial and error. But if standards of care are breached and a medical practitioner’s negligence causes preventable adverse events that harm a patient, it’s called medical malpractice.
Types of Medical Malpractice
One in every 13 patients entering a hospital or acute care facility will experience an “adverse event” and about 40 percent of these are considered preventable. Up to 70,000 Canadians will experience injuries from improper care every year and around 23,000 will die to preventable adverse events in hospitals alone. Sadly, St. Catharines’ medical facilities contribute to these statistics.
These adverse events range from misdiagnosis and delayed diagnosis, to surgical errors (wrong patient, body part or type of surgery performed, foreign objects left in the body), birth injuries (cuts, marks, brachial palsy and shoulder dystocia), and medication errors (incorrect dose, type of medical, or administration of the medication). The injuries patients sustain from this medical malpractice can be catastrophic: acquired brain injuries, spinal cord or nerve damage, serious infection, or other life-threatening conditions.
When You Need Legal Help
If you or a loved one has suffered from negligent medical treatment, you are not alone. Howie, Sacks and Henry’s medical malpractice lawyers can be your legal advisors and advocates as you seek justice for the harm you’ve experienced. Our knowledgeable team of personal injury attorneys have the expertise needed for this complex area of law. Together, we can develop a claim for compensation and damages to ensure you have the necessary financial resources to recover from your losses and rebuild your life.
HSH’s medical malpractice lawyers will gladly visit you in your own home or at a nearby consultation office in St. Catharines to listen to your story and to start planning your case. Distance should never be a barrier to high quality legal representation.
Our Medical Malpractice Lawyers Can Help You in St. Catharines
HSH’s team have developed an excellent reputation among our clients for the compassion and care we bring to our meetings and interactions with them. Rest assured that we will never think of you as just another case, but rather as a person deserving respect, attention and empathetic care. Our clients also soon learn what insurance companies know well – HSH builds strong cases that we have no hesitation in bring to court if our clients aren’t offered a fair and just settlement that meets their needs.
When you’ve been hurt, let HSH help. We would be honoured to be a part of your support team as you travel down the road to recovery.
News You Can Use
“When Doctors Make Bad Calls.” Read the Full Story on the Globe and Mail website.
Looking to work with a medical malpractice lawyer in St. Catharines? Contact Us.
We service the St. Catharines and surrounding area, including Welland, Niagara, Grimsby and Pelham. When you think Medical Malpractice Lawyer St. Catharines, Think Howie, Sacks & Henry.
Tell us what happened
Our team of highly-trained lawyers are here to listen and help.
