A person who sustains an injury or becomes seriously ill normally goes to see a doctor, health care practitioner, specialist or other medical professional seeking treatment and care. When a doctor or other medical professional fails to provide the accepted standard of care, a patient can suffer serious or fatal injuries, complications or advanced disease as a result.
Doctors have an obligation to provide their patients with a certain standard of care. Delays in diagnosis, a failure to properly treat a serious illness, errors in medication and surgical errors are just a few of the different forms of medical malpractice mistakes that fall below the accepted standard of practice in the medical field. If your doctor was negligent, incompetent, or failed to act when necessary, you may be the victim of medical malpractice.
5 Steps to Take If You Have Suffered Injury as a Result of Doctor Error
Victims of medical malpractice deserve to receive justice and financial remuneration for the pain and suffering they have had to endure. Knowing what steps to take if you have suffered injury as a result of doctor error is key in this situation.
- The first thing you should do is to seek immediate medical attention from another doctor or specialist for your injuries. Be sure to provide full details on your injury and how it happened so that this doctor can ensure that you get the necessary treatment. You will also need to be sure that your injuries, as well as details pertaining to your original doctor’s negligence and error, are thoroughly documented.
- Obtain a copy of your medical records from your previous doctor’s office at once so that these records cannot be altered in any way.
- The next step you should take is to obtain legal representation from an experienced medical malpractice attorney. Having an attorney on your side who is well-versed in medical malpractice laws will significantly improve your chances of proving negligence and recovering financial compensation.
- Educate yourself on the basic requirements for a medical malpractice claim. For this type of claim to be valid, you must be able to prove the following: a doctor-patient relationship existed, the doctor was negligent with your diagnosis or treatment, the doctor’s negligence was directly responsible for causing your injury, and the specific damages you suffered as a result.
- File a written report with your state’s medical board. This will launch an investigation into the incident and could lead to disciplinary action being taken against the negligent doctor. Filing this type of report can also help alert future patients to help them avoid falling victim to the same type of negligence.
Reduce the Risk of Medical Malpractice: Get Proactive About Your Health Care
Through the internet, patients have access to vast resources they can use to research their own symptoms, gain a comprehensive understanding of what ails them and learn what types of questions to ask their doctor when seeking treatment. If you feel that something is not quite right with your body, you owe it to yourself to speak up– never be afraid to ask your doctor questions when your health is at stake. You know better than anyone else when something is wrong, and being proactive about your own health care is one of most effective ways to reduce the risk of medical malpractice.
Sources:
The Legal Examiner Wiki: http://wiki.legalexaminer.com/help-center/articles/malpractice-what-to-do-when-a-doctor-gets-it-wrong.aspx
Nolo: http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/medical-malpractice-basics-29855.html
Forbes: http://www.forbes.com/sites/learnvest/2013/05/16/10-things-you-want-to-know-about-medical-malpractice/2/
