Cardiology Errors
HOLDING NEGLIGENT MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS ACCOUNTABLE in virginia
Heart disease and cardiovascular problems are the leading cause of death for both U.S. women and men, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The nation’s health protection agency estimates that about 610,000 Americans die of heart disease every year (about one in every four deaths).
Cardiology malpractice contributes to a large percentage of those annual deaths, as many patients suffer from heart problems that could have been avoided with the appropriate treatment and diagnosis.
However, not all cardiologist errors are considered medical malpractice, which is why it vital to speak with a Fairfax cardiology malpractice attorney from Virginia-based law firm Jones & Rostant, PC. Find out if the cardiologist’s actions, or lack thereof, contributed to your cardiovascular issues.
What Is Cardiology Malpractice?
While cardiology accounts for a large number of medical malpractice lawsuits in Virginia and elsewhere in the U.S. because of the serious consequences of cardiology errors, not all cardiologists’ mistakes constitute malpractice.
Just because a cardiologist makes a mistake that harms his or her patient does not necessarily mean that the patient is entitled to financial compensation. Proving cardiology malpractice can be a demanding task since the plaintiff has the burden to prove that:
The cardiologist owed you a duty of care;
The duty of care was breached due to the cardiology error; and
The breach caused you harm.
It is recommended to get help from a Virginia cardiology errors attorney to prove the above-mentioned elements when bringing a medical malpractice claim.
Reasons for Cardiology-Related Malpractice Lawsuits
According to a survey by Medscape, the most common reasons for cardiology-related medical malpractice lawsuits include:
Complications arising from the treatment or surgery (36%)
Wrongful death (25%)
Failure to treat or delayed treatment (21%)
Failure to diagnose or delayed diagnosis (20%)
A poor outcome or disease progression (18%)
And others
Types of Cardiology Errors
Cardiologist malpractice takes various forms, including:
Stent-related errors. Cardiologists are often required to insert a stent in order to open a blood vessel. When the stent is inserted negligently or is defective, it can become blocked and may cause a heart attack.
Failure to consider risk factors. When it comes to performing surgeries or preventing heart disease, a cardiologist must consider such risk factors as the patient’s age, blood pressure and cholesterol levels, heredity, tobacco use, diabetes, and other factors. Failure to do so may qualify as medical malpractice.
Misdiagnosis of a serious condition. A large number of cardiology errors occur when a cardiologist fails to diagnose a heart attack or another serious cardiovascular disease. For example, if a cardiologist fails to take a patient’s complaints seriously, it may result in complications or wrongful death.
Surgical or procedure malpractice. Cardiac procedures are often necessary to treat cardiovascular problems. However, the surgery or procedure ( such as a cardiac catheterization) can go wrong if the cardiologist or surgeon fails to adhere to the established standards of care.
Call our Virginia cardiology errors lawsuit lawyers at (703) 352-0522 for a free case review.
Contact our medical malpractice lawyers at Jones & Rostant, PC, to determine whether you were a victim of a cardiology error and are entitled to file a lawsuit against the negligent cardiologist. Call at (703) 352-0522 or visit our contact us page.