Medical Malpractice and Preventable Medical Errors
When you seek medical care, you trust doctors, nurses, and hospitals to provide competent, attentive treatment. That trust is sacred — and when it’s broken, the consequences can be life-altering. According to Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, preventable medical errors are responsible for more than 250,000 deaths in the United States every year, making medical negligence the third leading cause of death nationwide. Our medical malpractice lawyers understand how devastating these preventable errors can be and are committed to helping patients and families find accountability and justice.
Behind those statistics are real people and families who placed their faith in the healthcare system only to suffer avoidable harm. But how do you know if what happened was medical malpractice? At Gallon, Takacs & Boissoneault, we help victims of medical negligence seek justice and hold those responsible accountable. For more than 70 years, we’ve represented patients across Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana, guiding them through the complex process of uncovering what went wrong and pursuing fair compensation.
What Constitutes Medical Malpractice
Not every poor outcome is malpractice — some complications arise even under the best medical care. However, when an error or omission causes preventable harm, it may be grounds for a claim.
Malpractice can take many forms, including:
Surgical mistakes or anesthesia errors
Missed or delayed diagnoses
Prescription and medication mix-ups
Labor and delivery negligence
Failure to monitor or communicate patient information
Hospital or systemic failures in policy and staffing
Each case requires a careful investigation and expert medical review to determine whether negligence occurred and to determine who bears responsibility.
Signs of Medical Malpractice
Not every medical outcome points to malpractice, but some warning signs should raise serious concern. If something feels wrong, trust your instincts and look closer.
Common red flags include:
Sudden or unexplained changes in your condition: Symptoms worsen without reason, or new complications develop that your doctor can’t clearly explain.
Missed or delayed diagnosis: Another provider later discovers a condition that should have been caught earlier through proper testing or follow-up.
Severe surgical complications: Pain, infection, or injury that goes beyond normal risks may signal a surgical mistake.
Medication or dosage errors: You’re given the wrong drug, the wrong amount, or medications that dangerously interact.
Lack of communication or informed consent: You weren’t fully informed about the risks, alternatives, or purpose of a procedure before it happened.
Inconsistent or incomplete medical records: Details don’t match what you were told, or key information is missing from your chart.
If any of these sound familiar, don’t ignore your concerns. Ask questions and get a second opinion. Then, contact a medical malpractice attorney who can review your records, identify potential negligence, and explain your legal options for moving forward.
How Medical Negligence Happens
A doctor might overlook test results because a lab report wasn’t properly flagged. A nurse may administer the wrong medication when a chart is misfiled. Or a radiologist may misread an imaging scan under an intense workload. These breakdowns can cause devastating injuries that patients and families are left to face alone.
At GT&B, we examine every link in the chain of care — from hospital procedures to physician decisions — to uncover the root cause of the negligence.
Surgical Errors and Operating Room Negligence
Surgical errors rank among the most devastating types of medical malpractice. Patients go into surgery expecting healing — not harm. When surgeons operate on the wrong body part, leave instruments inside the patient, or administer too much anesthesia, the results can be catastrophic. These mistakes cause organ damage, paralysis, infection, and even wrongful death.
Most surgical injuries happen because someone ignored safety protocols, failed to monitor vital signs, or broke down in communication during the procedure. These “never events” have no place in a modern operating room.
At Gallon, Takacs & Boissoneault, our attorneys collaborate with independent surgeons and anesthesiologists to uncover exactly what went wrong. We identify who made the critical errors, expose system failures, and demand accountability. We also investigate post-operative care, where poor monitoring or follow-up often leads to preventable complications and long-term harm.
Delayed Diagnosis and Misdiagnosis
A delayed or missed diagnosis can change everything — and in some cases, cost a life. When doctors ignore symptoms or misread test results, conditions that could have been treated early often spiral into critical or fatal stages. Many of these cases involve illnesses like cancer, heart disease, stroke, infection, or diabetes that progress simply because no one acted in time.
Diagnostic negligence often happens when physicians:
Dismiss or minimize a patient’s symptoms
Skip essential tests or order the wrong ones
Misinterpretation of imaging or lab results
Fail to share critical findings with the patient
Overlook the need for a specialist referral
These failures lead to unnecessary pain, lost treatment options, and preventable suffering. At Gallon, Takacs & Boissoneault, our attorneys work with leading medical experts to reconstruct the timeline of care, pinpoint where providers failed, and prove exactly how those mistakes caused harm.
Birth Injuries and Obstetric Negligence
Negligence during childbirth can cause conditions such as cerebral palsy, Erb’s palsy, shoulder dystocia, brain trauma, or nerve damage. These injuries often occur when providers delay performing a C-section, misuse forceps or vacuum devices, or fail to monitor fetal distress. Mothers may also experience severe complications due to hemorrhage, infection, or surgical mistakes during delivery.
GT&B works with obstetric and neonatal experts to analyze prenatal records, delivery procedures, and hospital policies. Our goal is to uncover the truth, hold negligent providers accountable, and help families secure the care resources their children will need for the future.
Establishing Fault and Proving Negligence
Proving malpractice requires more than showing that a mistake occurred — it requires evidence that the provider violated accepted medical standards and directly caused harm. These cases often hinge on detailed medical records, expert testimony, and the ability to explain complex medical events in clear, factual terms.
Our attorneys meticulously review treatment notes, hospital policies, diagnostic data, and communications between medical staff. We consult respected specialists to provide expert opinions on what should have been done differently. By combining legal skill with medical insight, we build cases that stand up to scrutiny in negotiations and in court.
Differences in State Laws
Because GT&B represents clients across three states, we understand how critical it is to apply the correct legal standards for each jurisdiction.
Ohio follows a traditional fault-based system, allowing patients to bring claims directly against negligent providers.
Michigan has a unique process requiring an official Notice of Intent to File Claim before a lawsuit can begin.
Indiana requires review by a medical review panel before a case proceeds and applies a modified comparative fault rule that can reduce recovery if the patient is partly responsible.
The timelines, procedures, and filing requirements vary significantly. Without an attorney familiar with each state’s malpractice laws, victims risk missing crucial deadlines or losing their right to compensation. Our regional experience ensures that every case is filed accurately, on time, and supported by the proper expert affidavits.
The Lasting Impact of Medical Malpractice
Medical malpractice leaves lasting scars that reach far beyond the hospital. Victims often battle chronic pain, permanent disability, and a loss of independence. Families shoulder medical debt, emotional strain, and unimaginable grief.
At Gallon, Takacs & Boissoneault, we’ve stood beside parents who lost children, workers forced to give up their careers, and seniors whose final years were stolen by negligence. Each case drives the same mission: find the truth, demand accountability, and help clients rebuild their lives.
We lead every step of the process with compassion and precision. Our attorneys secure medical records, coordinate expert reviews, and negotiate aggressively with insurers. While we handle the details, our clients can focus on healing and moving forward.
Accountability and Advocacy
Pursuing a medical malpractice claim isn’t just about financial recovery — it’s about making healthcare safer for everyone. Every case we take helps expose dangerous patterns, prevent future harm, and remind medical institutions that accountability matters. By standing up, victims become a force for change that protects patients across our community.
At Gallon, Takacs & Boissoneault, our attorneys work closely with respected medical experts, investigators, and specialists to uncover what went wrong and why. These partnerships give us the insight and evidence needed to challenge powerful hospitals and insurance companies — and win. When justice demands it, we take cases to trial to make sure our clients’ stories are heard and negligent providers are held fully responsible.
Why Choose Gallon, Takacs & Boissoneault
For more than seven decades, Gallon, Takacs & Boissoneault has stood up for injured individuals and families across Northwest Ohio, Southeast Michigan, and Northeast Indiana. We bring together seasoned legal skill and deep local insight — the kind of understanding only a regional firm rooted in the community can provide.
When you choose GT&B, you get:
Over 70 years of results-driven experience in personal injury and medical malpractice law
Nine local offices offering convenient, in-person representation close to home
A single, dedicated team managing your case from start to finish for clear communication and personal attention
No upfront costs — you don’t pay unless we win
Our work doesn’t stop at the courthouse. We live here, raise our families here, and share the same commitment to protecting the safety and rights of our neighbors. Local. Trusted. Fighting for the Injured.
Moving Forward with Experienced Medical Malpractice Lawyers
If you believe you or someone you love suffered harm due to medical negligence, you don’t have to navigate the system alone. Medical malpractice laws vary across Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana, and interpreting them correctly requires the experience of dedicated medical malpractice lawyers who understand how each state handles these complex claims.
At Gallon, Takacs & Boissoneault, our medical malpractice lawyers take the time to listen to your story, review your records, and explain your legal options in clear, practical terms. Whether your case involves a hospital, private clinic, or individual healthcare provider, our team is ready to help you move forward with confidence and clarity.
Call 419-843-6663 or contact us online for a free consultation today. There is no cost, no risk, and no reason to wait — your recovery starts the moment you reach out to our experienced medical malpractice lawyers serving Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana.
