As one of the leading causes of death in the United States, medical negligence is not only relatively common, but can have serious and lasting consequences. While people often assume only doctors can be sued for medical malpractice, many other healthcare professionals can be held responsible for their actions, including pharmaceuticals, hospitals, anesthesiologists, and nurses. When it comes to your health and wellbeing, it is important to be able to trust the healthcare professionals working to keep you healthy.
If you are suing your doctor for medical malpractice, there are a couple points you should keep in mind. You must be able to prove that an official doctor-patient relationship existed between you and your physician, even if it was just one appointment. However, most informal advice given by friends or family will not be considered as official. Secondly, you must be able to prove the doctor was negligent in your care. In most cases, a testimony from an expert in the field will be able to prove this by setting a standard of care, or reasonable course of action that any competent doctor would have followed. Lastly, your doctor’s negligence must have caused you some sort of harm, whether financial, physical, or mental. If you think your doctor’s actions, or lack thereof, caused you harm, contact one of our medical malpractice attorneys today.
While the types of medical malpractice cases can be vast, each one could have had a better outcome for the patient. A doctor’s failure to diagnose a patient correctly, or in a timely manner, could cause the patient significant pain and suffering, as they continue to endure the symptoms of their illness. Improper treatment, or incorrectly administered treatment can become quite costly, and again result in unnecessary suffering. Failure of duty of informed consent, or not warning patients of known risks to treatment and medications, can also lead to unexpected, and occasionally dangerous, side effects. The patient has a right to be aware of the risks of treatment. If a pharmaceutical company failed to explain these risks, they may be liable. Likewise, if a hospitable did not properly vet their staff, or did not have enough nurses or doctors on hand to properly treat their patients, they may be held responsible.
If you have been harmed by the negligence of a medical professional, you may be able to receive compensation for unnecessary medical bills, lost income, as well as physical and mental suffering. Contact McIntyre Thanasides today at (844)511-4800 for help with your case.
