4 Signs You Were the Victim of Medical Malpractice
Nobody wants to think of themselves as a victim – and especially not when it comes to the medical provider that they trusted with their health. Unfortunately, it can happen to the best of us. Recent studies have indicated that medical malpractice happens with alarming frequency – in fact a report released by the renowned Journal of the American Medical Association cited medical negligence as the third leading cause of death in the United States, and there are billions of dollars paid out to victims of medical malpractice every year in this country. Still, not every instance in which medical treatment fails represents negligence. The concerned attorneys at Wallace Law want you to know the red flags of negligence so that you know when you need to take action.
There are many indications that the care that you received from a medical provider falls below what is considered standard. Here are four signs you were the victim of medical malpractice:
- You’re not getting better. This is one of the most obvious indications that something is not right. In many cases medical malpractice is a result of a misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis. If your doctor has been treating you for the wrong illness, or has indicated that you are not in need of treatment but your symptoms are persisting, then they may have failed in their differential diagnosis in a way that another physician would not have.
- Your diagnosis doesn’t make sense. You know your body better than anybody, and you know what you’ve told your physician about the symptoms that you’re experiencing. If your physician has given you a diagnosis that does not match what you’ve told them, then they may not have been paying close enough attention, or may even be giving you a worse diagnosis then necessary in order to charge you for expensive treatments.
- Your physician did not order a test that would have given you a diagnosis sooner. Every physician presented with a sick patient goes through a standard procedure known as a differential diagnosis, in which they narrow down what is wrong with a patient by ruling out the various possibilities. This process is supported by standard diagnostic tests. Failure to order a test that would have provided a firm diagnosis can result in a delayed diagnosis and an aggressive illness getting markedly worse.
- Your physician is not or did not take your complaints seriously, or is not providing you with adequate information. In far too many cases, patients seek help from their physician and find that their complaints are disregarded and the impact of their symptoms are minimized, or they may be treated but the physician spends too little time explaining the diagnosis, the treatment, or the course of action that a patient can take on their own behalf. If you have been ignored then you are not receiving the treatment that you deserve, and the same is true following treatment. Every physician is supposed to follow up with their patient in order to ensure that they are recovering appropriately.
If you suspect that your physician or healthcare provider has been subjecting you to substandard treatment and you have suffered damages as a result, then you may be eligible to file a medical malpractice lawsuit. Call the attorneys at Wallace Law to set up an appointment to discuss your case.
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