A doctor prescribed Accutane to treat a 22-year-old woman’s acne. For years, the drug’s manufacturer had known that Accutane can cause birth defects, and initiated an educational program to reinforce the important of pregnancy prevention, including the recommendation that physicians twice administer a pregnancy test and require a signed commitment to use two forms of birth control while using Accutane. There is no evidence this patient was counseled about the risks, nor was she tested for pregnancy. In 2003, she became pregnant and two weeks later, stopped the Accutane treatment. When the baby was born, a CT scan revealed cystic expansion of one of the ventricles of her brain directly caused from utero exposure to Accutane.
Read more about Medical Negligence here.
Examples of Medical Malpractice:
- Operating on the wrong area of the body
- Practicing medicine while impaired in any capacity
- Leaving an instrument or medical supply inside a patient after surgery
- Prescribing the wrong dosage of medicine to a patient
- Failing to turn a patient over, resulting in bedsores
- Misdiagnoses, such as cancer misdiagnosis or failing to identify the warning signs of a heart attack or stroke
- Improperly treating a patient’s condition
- Failing to inform the patient of known risks
People make mistakes, however, the medical profession has standards of care and procedures to prevent these mistakes from occurring. When these procedures are not followed and the medical staff is not proactive, the outcomes may require a lawyer who has specific experience in medical malpractice cases.
Every medical malpractice claim has a statute of limitations, which means the patient has a limited amount of time to file a claim. If you are inquiring on behalf of a family member, this statute of limitations may apply to your case as well. The best way to know what your statute is and what your rights may be is to speak with one of our attorneys as soon as possible. If you are ready and comfortable to let us hear your story, you may contact us at (949) 640-8222 to schedule a free consultation.
