4 Signs You Should Hire a Medical Malpractice Attorney
- By Dodson Robert Atty
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- 04 Jan, 2018
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From a misdiagnosis or improper treatment to an error during a procedure or surgery, the importance of a physician's malpractice insurance is easy to see. These policies are designed to protect the physician, their practice, and the hospital if accidents or mishaps occur during your treatment, but most patients do not truly understand the benefits of this insurance.
Considering medical errors are the third leading cause of death in the United States, learning more about medical malpractice suits is smart. With this guide, you will learn when it is time to consult an attorney regarding a possible medical malpractice lawsuit.
1. Ineffective Treatment
First and foremost, contact your lawyer if your treatment is not working for your particular needs. Your doctor may have misdiagnosed your condition and prescribed a medication or procedure that does not align with your health care needs. This misdiagnosis will cause you to ingest medications and undergo treatments that are not only unnecessary but may also be hazardous to your health.
Ineffective treatment also allows your condition to progress, resulting in more serious side effects that are uncomfortable and even life threatening in some instances.
2. Serious Diagnosis After Simple Lab Tests Only
If you have recently been diagnosed with a serious medical condition after a few lab tests, your doctor should be questioned.
Blood and urine tests may give signs that you are suffering from a serious condition, such as cancer, heart disease, or kidney failure, but more involved tests should be ordered by your doctor before they offer a professional diagnosis.
A professional diagnosis should include a detailed physical exam where your doctor listens to your symptoms and concerns. Once they've addressed all signs and symptoms, they'll order laboratory tests and send these off for evaluation. After your doctor receives the results from these lab tests, they should order further tests, which may include x-rays, MRIs, ultrasounds, and biopsies.
Diagnosing these serious conditions with simple blood and urine tests increases stress and worry while reducing the ability to treat the medical condition in the most efficient and concise manner.
3. Different Second Opinion
You should always get a second opinion, even if you have been seeing your current doctor for the majority of your life. A second opinion will reduce the risk of a misdiagnosis and prevent treatments that are not only ineffective but also unnecessary.
If you receive a completely different opinion from a second doctor, consider consulting your attorney. This different diagnosis and treatment recommendation is a sign that one of the physicians is not completing their job effectively. A different second opinion is also a sign that you should see another doctor for a third opinion.
If you receive a completely different opinion from a second doctor, consider consulting your attorney. This different diagnosis and treatment recommendation is a sign that one of the physicians is not completing their job effectively. A different second opinion is also a sign that you should see another doctor for a third opinion.
4. Error During Surgery/Treatment
Of course, if your doctor made an error during a procedure, surgery, or treatment, they should be brought into a medical malpractice lawsuit.
Physicians that do not comply with standards in medical care will increase your risk of mistreatment, medical complications, injury, pain, and further discomfort from future treatments.
Common errors made by doctors include the following:
- Administering improper dosages of medications or anesthesia
- Accidentally cutting an artery or damaging an organ during surgery
- Leaving surgical instruments behind during surgery
- Using unsterilized instruments that lead to dangerous infections after surgery
- Performing a surgery or procedure on the wrong part of the body
- Giving patients incompatible or contaminated blood during transfusions
Medical malpractice is a real problem that needs to be understood and discussed. If you have experienced improper care, a misdiagnosis, or medical issues during and after treatment or surgery, you may want to consult an attorney. Contact the Law Offices of Robert Dodson, P.A., today.
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