One of the most common types of wrongful death cases is a medical malpractice claim. Physicians, healthcare workers, a practice group or hospital could potentially bear responsibility for causing a patient to die. A misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis could have prevented a patient from obtaining the treatment necessary for his or her condition, or put the proper diagnosis off until it was too late. Surgeons sometimes make errors during procedures, operating on the wrong body part, or leaving surgical instruments or sponges behind. Physicians may order unnecessary surgeries or procedures that could result in the patient’s death.