Every year, tens of thousands of patients are seriously injured or even killed while being treated for another illness. Doctors often have professional liability insurance to provide support in the event of a lawsuit filed against them for medical malpractice. Proving medical errors may be difficult to achieve, so how do you know if you’ve fallen prey to negligence from your health care provider?
Get A Second Opinion
If you’ve left the hospital in a worse state than before you received treatment, it may not mean that you are the victim of medical malpractice. The side effects of the operation or any medicines consumed may be severe, but are the expected reactions for the procedure you underwent. If at all in doubt, you should seek a second opinion from a qualified medical professional that has no vested interest in the health care provider you used.
Contact Your Health Care Provider
If you think you have been the victim of medical malpractice in the past, you’re current health care provider may be able to do some investigative work and give you piece of mind. They can inspect the body both externally and internally (through the use of X-ray) and if you inform them of the procedures used previously, they will be able to make a judgement on whether that aligns with the standard of care expected from a qualified medical provider.
Listen to Your Doctor
Often, if there has been something untoward happen during an operation, your medical professional will inform you straight away. This helps to uphold the integrity of their practice and also avoids a complex and possibly nasty lawsuit at a later date. Complete honesty is often the best policy and a heartfelt apology, could prevent legal action.
Hiring an Attorney
Beware if you have been knowingly ill-treated and your health care providers’ insurer is wanting to settle a claim early. It is best to hire your own attorney to resolve the matter. An early settlement is favorable for insurers as they settle the claim before the full extent of the damage is known and also before your case is presented to a court. This often results in a substantially lower payment than would be expected.
If you have any questions about being a victim of medical malpractice or if you would like to contact a professional, the Law offices of Alvin H. Broome & Associates can help. Contact us today.