While it is possible for a medical malpractice lawsuit to be filed against a health care facility for injuries that result due to physical conditions of the facility, when most people hear the term, they assume the lawsuit is because of the negligent behavior of a physician, nurse or other health care provider. The actions by these individuals occur in a variety of settings including medical procedures or surgery.
One area in which the number of medical malpractice lawsuits is growing is dermatology, specifically laser procedures. Perhaps in part due to society's interest in remaining young, laser procedures are more popular than ever. There are a variety of reasons someone might seek to have one of these procedures including hair removal and rejuvenation.
Recently an article regarding the matter was published in JAMA Dermatology. The authors of the article researched the types of injuries most often prompting these types of cases and found that in addition to burns, changes in skin pigmentation and scarring were the most common.
Perhaps the most interesting, and potentially disturbing, finding of the research was the type of doctors most often named in the medical malpractice lawsuits. While dermatologists and plastic surgeons were often sued, so were the following types of healthcare providers:
- Podiatrists
- Family practitioners
- Otolaryngologists
- Chiropractors
- General surgeons
In addition, in some cases the people performing the surgical procedure were not even doctors.
Regardless of who is responsible for inflicting the injury in the medical procedure, victims should be aware that a medical malpractice lawsuit could be viable.
Source: Medscape Medical News, "Laser Skin Surgery Means More Lawsuits for Physicians," Norra MacReady, March 8, 2013