Doctors are humans, and they can make mistakes or overlook things, especially when they’re exhausted from long shifts. Medical negligence occurs when the doctor or health care provider neglects to provide you with the proper treatment, gives a substandard treatment that triggers injury, harm or even death, or omits to take action. Often, a case of medical malpractice involves a medical error that can be a wrong medication dosage, diagnosis, treatment, health management, or aftercare.
When you visit a healthcare specialist, make sure you listen to your body because it’ll tell you if something’s incorrect or confusing. Even if doctors are trained experts that you trust deeply and have faith in to keep you safe, they can make mistakes. Sadly, when they make a mistake, the results are devastating, and it would be best if you can identify the red flags of medical malpractice so you can minimize the chances of experiencing serious injury.
Here is a guide that tells you when you’re the victim of medical negligence.
The doctor prescribed a treatment that doesn’t improve your medical condition
When the treatment your doctor prescribed isn’t working, they may have misdiagnosed you. Supposing this happened, you’re more likely to develop more health issues or become sicker. In this situation, you’re clearly a victim because the doctor who was supposed to improve your illness is treating something you don’t have. Health problems worsen with time, and while your health continues to deteriorate, you also provide your body with something it doesn’t need and make it worse.
Most times, the medication for an illness you’re misdiagnosed with can trigger dangerous side effects because you’re exposing your body to a drug it doesn’t need. Consult another doctor to determine if the first diagnosis is correct, and have them check your symptoms.
The medical expert doesn’t follow-up with your concerns
During your visit, you address the doctor with various concerns and questions and expect them to consider them when diagnosing your condition. If the doctor isn’t following up, seems rushed, or provide you with inadequate information, you don’t benefit from the medical attention you should during a medical consult. Healthcare professionals should always take your concerns seriously and provide you with complete information about your condition and treatment. Visit another medical professional with better reviews to provide you with the proper care.
You experienced a surgical error
When the doctor recommended having surgery for your condition, they informed you of the risks associated with it. However, some risks can be completely avoided if the surgeon and medical team handle the process properly. If you experienced one of the below complications, you can file and win a lawsuit.
- Complications because the doctors didn’t properly sterilize the tools
- Injuries because they didn’t carefully place you on the surgical table
- Received the wrong surgery
The above errors are signs of patient neglect, and you should hold the surgical team responsible. Get in touch with a company like UK Law because they can help you file a claim or lawsuit.
A specialist from the medical team admitted fault
It’s challenging to prove in court that one of the healthcare specialists who treated you admitted they did something wrong. However, when the doctor, nurse, or another medical team member who handled your case admits that their fault caused an injury, it’s medical malpractice.
However, considering that the healthcare workers have a lot to lose if they admit their blame, it’s rare for someone to tell you when they do something wrong. This is why you should always work with an experienced lawyer on your side to help you win the case.
Anaesthesia mistakes were made
When we’re speaking about anaesthesia mistakes, we’re referring to cases like
- Dosing problems
- An IV flow rate that isn’t adequately controlled
- Documentation errors
- Unintentional administration of anaesthetics
Anaesthesia mistakes often occur because the healthcare professional doesn’t review your medical history, use improper equipment, or fail to monitor your vitals properly. Consult with a personal injury lawyer to determine if you can file a claim.
The healthcare professionals lacked your informed consent
Most medical procedures and surgeries can trigger complications and your doctor has to explain to them before they provide any treatment. It’s their job to explain the benefits and risks of the procedure or treatment they perform and allow you to decide if you want to have it. If they fail to get your informed consent or don’t explain all the risks associated with your treatment, you can file a medical negligence claim because the doctor performed a procedure that lacked your informed consent. However, for you to win the malpractice case, the procedure or treatment should result in injury or harm.
The treatment doesn’t match your condition
One common reason for malpractice lawsuits is the doctor recommending a treatment that doesn’t match the patients’ needs. Invasive tests, procedures, and surgery shouldn’t be the first line of treatment but the last resort when the doctors cannot figure out the causes that trigger your condition. When you think your doctor has done more than required, you can consult with another medical expert to get a second opinion and file a lawsuit.
You experience new symptoms
Even if it’s kind of tricky to show that your new symptoms are related to an untreated condition, you can still build a solid medical malpractice case if you get the help of an expert. You shouldn’t get new symptoms if the doctor correctly identifies your diagnosis and provide the proper treatment. Typically, new symptoms are the red flags of a negligence case, improper treatment, or something along this line. However, you cannot claim pain associated with surgery is a new symptom because it’s a side effect of most medical procedures. Consult with a specialist who can help you identify the symptoms that signal medical negligence.
Medical negligence is an overwhelming situation no one should experience. But if you think the doctor or healthcare provider treated you wrongfully, you should seek help.