Most of us trust that doctors will do what is for the betterment of our health, so when they stray from doing so, it can leave us confused and in pain. The trust between doctor and patient may break due to the doctor’s oversights, mistakes, or negligence. Even when our gut says something isn’t quite right, we may dismiss it, since we have faith in the medical professionals that treat us. But as a medical malpractice lawyer from our friends at Hall-Justice Law Firm LLC has seen before, innocent people are wronged every day across the nation because of doctors who failed to provide the standard of care that is expected of them.
What are common signs that medical malpractice has happened?
There are limitless scenarios in which medical malpractice may have been committed by a doctor, support staff, or other medical professionals. Generally, if your treatment is not working, your care doesn’t match the diagnosis, you weren’t ordered basic lab tests, you developed an infection after surgery, or have new symptoms, then medical malpractice may have happened to you. Any situation where a doctor committed a mistake which led to patient harm may be enough reason to consider filing a lawsuit.
How does someone know if they were the victim of medical malpractice?
When a patient is harmed due to a doctor’s error, that doctor may face a medical malpractice lawsuit for the suffering they caused. Victims may be left with more questions than answers, and may be unsure who they can trust to get them through this terrible period. The only way to know for sure if you were a victim of medical malpractice is to work with a legal team who can investigate the situation further.
Is it normal for hospitals to be understaffed?
Perhaps more than ever before, hospitals are understaffed and don’t have the support they need to meet the capacity. However, this is not the fault of people getting care, as they should be given quality medical attention regardless. A major contributing factor of medical malpractice is neglect and negligence. So if you spent time at a hospital and your needs went unmet, and were harmed because of it, then you may have grounds for medical malpractice.
How do I know a doctor made a mistake during surgery?
Surgical mistakes are another prevalent cause of patient harm, or death. Doctors may fail to properly use anesthesia, operate on the wrong area of the body, use surgical instruments that were not thoroughly cleaned, and more. Another way that surgical malpractice can occur is if the doctor did not provide enough information about the procedure, so then the patient was not able to make a choice about the surgery that was best for them. Lack of informed consent is a serious issue, and doctors must be forthcoming about both the potential benefits and risks.
When trust gets broken between doctor and patient, tragedy can ensue. A doctor who fails to provide a certain standard of care may face a lawsuit for their mistakes. Victims are advised to come forward and consider taking legal action so they can hold the offending doctor accountable.