5 Signs You May Be a Victim of Medical Malpractice
Medical care is supposed to help people, not harm them. However, mistakes can happen in healthcare, and when they do, the consequences can be life-altering.
Medical malpractice occurs when a healthcare professional deviates from the standard of care, resulting in injury or harm to a patient. But how do you know if what happened to you qualifies as malpractice?
Doctors are expected to properly diagnose and treat conditions based on their training and medical standards. When treatments don’t produce the expected outcomes or make things worse, it’s possible that a mistake was made.
Of course, not every worsening condition is due to malpractice. Some treatments carry risks, and recovery can be unpredictable. However, if your doctor fails to explain the risks beforehand or does not provide a reasonable explanation for your decline, it’s worth investigating further.
You can also claim compensation from the hospital authorities for your losses. To do so, you can hire a medical malpractice lawyer from Hollander Law Firm. They will handle the legal process effectively. The firm has been helping victims of negligence since 1996. Gregg Hollander and his team have won millions in compensation for victims of medical malpractice.
If your doctor diagnosed you with one condition, but later, another healthcare provider discovers it was something else entirely, this could be a red flag.
Misdiagnosis can lead to incorrect treatments, potentially worsening your actual condition or causing new health problems. If the correct diagnosis was evident from your symptoms or medical tests and your doctor missed it, they may be responsible for malpractice.
If you’ve undergone surgery and experienced unusual complications that weren’t discussed beforehand, this could point to a surgical error.
Common signs of surgical malpractice include post-surgical infections, unexpected severe pain, or prolonged recovery times. While some post-surgical issues can be normal, if your medical team doesn’t explain what went wrong, it may be time to ask more questions.
Before any major medical procedure or treatment, your doctor needs to explain the potential risks, benefits, and alternatives. This is called "informed consent." If your doctor didn’t provide enough information for you to make an informed decision, you may have grounds for a medical malpractice claim.
For instance, if you underwent a procedure and later found out about significant risks you weren’t informed of, you didn’t have the opportunity to weigh the decision properly. This lack of informed consent can be a sign that something went wrong in your care.
If you’ve experienced side effects or complications after starting a new medication and suspect the wrong drug was given, it could be a sign of medical malpractice. Medication errors can lead to serious health consequences, especially if the wrong drug interacts negatively with other medications you’re taking.
If you believe you’re a victim of medical malpractice, the first step is to consult another healthcare provider to get a second opinion. This can help clarify whether the care you received deviated from the standard.
Additionally, you may want to consult a medical malpractice attorney, as these cases can be complex and require professional evaluation.
While medical care involves risks, you have the right to expect a certain level of competence from your healthcare providers. Taking action early on can help protect your health and ensure others don't suffer the same fate.
