Medical malpractice is the number three cause of death for Americans (behind heart disease and cancer), according to the Journal of the American Medical Association. What may be possibly more shocking than this statistic is the fact that many researchers believe that most cases of malpractice go unreported, as doctors may be too embarrassed to report when they’ve made mistakes and patients may be too focused on moving on with their care, rather than reporting the incident.
Being tuned in to these signs of malpractice can help people take an active role in seeking medical and legal help when they have been injured by malpractice.
Because malpractice can lead to life-threatening health complications, it’s critical that everyone is aware of some of the most common signs associated with medical mistakes and malpractice. Being tuned in to these indications of malpractice can help people take an active role in seeking the medical and legal help they need when they have been victimized by medical malpractice.
Specifically, it’s possible that malpractice has occurred when:
- Doctors make a diagnosis after running no or minimal medical tests – While part of the process of diagnosing people with conditions will involve talking to them about their symptoms, another essential component of this process involves running some medical tests (which the specific tests depending on the suspected conditions and a person’s symptoms). Commonly, medical tests that are administered during the diagnostic process include (but are not limited to) blood tests, MRIs and CT scans, biopsies, and colonoscopies.If doctors don’t run any of these tests on you and diagnose you with a serious medical issue, the chances are that they have cut some corners in your diagnosis. When you think this may have happened to you, speak up – ask the doctor why he didn’t conduct certain tests and how he came to the conclusion that you have a certain condition. If you are skeptical about his professional opinion and judgment calls, get a second opinion from another physician.
- The symptoms you have don’t align with the diagnosis you have been given – The point of being diagnosed with a medical condition is that this diagnosis should be able to account for the symptoms and impairments you may be living with.When you have symptoms that are justified by the condition you have been diagnosed with or the condition is associated with symptoms that you aren’t experiencing, again, it’s time to speak up, ask your doctor questions and consider getting a second medical opinion about your health.
Check out the second installment of this blog for a discussion regarding three additional indications that medical professionals may have made a mistake with your case.
The Encino Malpractice Lawyers at Binder Law Group, PLC
If you believe that a doctor has made a mistake with your medical care, you need an attorney who understands personal injury law and knows what steps to take on your behalf. At Binder Law Group, PLC, our Encino malpractice attorneys have been committed to aggressively defending victims’ rights and helping people like you in the Encino, California area since 1973. Our thorough knowledge of the law and our fierce litigating skills allow us to consistently help accident victims secure the maximum possible compensation for their injuries and losses.
At Binder Law Group, PLC, we take pride in providing individual service and attention to each of our clients, and we are selective in the number of cases we take. This allows us to focus on the issue at hand, attack each case with vigor and provide the highest quality legal work possible. It also allows us to keep each of our clients informed about the status of their cases at all times so that they never feel that they are being left in the dark when it comes to their the important legal matters.
Are You Ready to Learn More about Your Rights? Let’s Meet for a Consult…
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