The thing about medical malpractice is that one isn’t always aware that they have been or is a victim.
While it might be easy to believe that medical malpractice is unambiguous – either one is a victim, or one isn’t a victim – there are possibilities that one doesn’t know that they are being subjected to medical malpractice.
Doctors and medical healthcare providers often perform their duties with utmost care and integrity – yet – they can sometimes become the cause of severe injury or death due to medical error.
Suppose you believe that you or your loved one has endured injuries resulting from medical mistreatment. In that case, you might want to consult the injury attorney, Corban Gunn, and understand the claim process of the personal injury.
Generally speaking, medical practice engulfs patient harm caused by the actions of a medical professional, which can be defined in both ways – subjective and objective – depending on the circumstances.
The awareness of the essential medical negligence signs can help you understand the nature and the extent of the medical error in which it has occurred. The indicators of medical negligence can include the following aspects.
Keep reading!
Uninformed Consent
Depending on the state where you are seeking medical care, you have the right to obtain consent before proceeding with medical treatment or surgery. Legally, your healthcare provider needs to inform you about your medical treatment plan’s potential risks and benefits.
Clarity is mandatory to help the patient make an informed decision about the potential treatment option.
If the patient fails to get informed consent – it can fall into the category of medical malpractice, which can further cause financial damages to the patient. Sometimes, uninformed consent can also lead to criminal charges for the medical care provider – however – exceptions might apply.
Continuous Symptoms
Unbeknownst to many patients, the persistence of symptoms or a worsening condition can suggest that the medical condition hasn’t been treated properly. Physicians are expected to provide medical care and treatment within the set standards of care.
If the medical professional fails to do so – it falls into the category of medical negligence. Medical misdiagnosis also falls into the category of medical negligence. For instance, if the patient has been given the wrong medication – the doctor has evidently mismanaged/ misdiagnosed their condition.
Delayed Medical Care
Delay in medical care and diagnosis is also part of medical negligence.
Understandably, timely detection and subsequent medical care are crucial for the complete recovery of any patient. If your healthcare provider doesn’t give you the due attention and fails to give you a timely diagnosis, you can suffer serious consequences.
For instance, if a cancer patient isn’t diagnosed at the early stages, there is a possibility that the treatment of the ailment might not be possible at all. Understandably, early detection of an illness can make way for a quicker and fuller recovery.
That said, delayed medical care and diagnosis falls into the category of malpractice and medical negligence. When a patient has health problems that aren’t detected timely or the physician delays providing a precise diagnosis – it is considered medical negligence.
In the case of delayed medical care and untimely diagnosis, the patient can get a lawyer and receive due compensation for it.
Post-Surgery Complications
The professional healthcare provider has to ensure that any surgical procedure is performed safely and correctly, as the patient relies on the skills and medical practice of the surgeon.
While some surgical errors might not cause significant damage to the patient – other errors can be life-threatening to the point of causing wrongful death.
Typically, post-surgery complications include unusual swelling, bruising, and bleeding. Other examples of post-surgical errors include the following scenarios:
- Operating on a different patient.
- Poor hygiene during the surgical procedure results in post-surgical complications.
- The error of leaving surgical/ foreign instruments/ material inside the body of the patient.
- Careless and improper treatment of infections.
If you or your loved one ever comes across such issues, it is a strong indicator that there has been malpractice.
You might want to contact a professional injury attorney right away and discuss the case with them. The professional attorney is in the best position to help you understand the legal proceedings in case of personal injury or medical malpractice.
Adverse Medical Treatment Results
As a patient, when you are signing up for medical treatment, you do so with the expectation of recovering fully and soon. In other words, you expect the condition to improve instead of the condition to persist or worsen.
If you don’t experience the expected results, the physician’s inability to deliver standard treatment and care could be the potential reason. Resultantly, you might end up dealing with something known as inappropriate treatment or medical negligence.
If the patient continues to go through pain and discomfort after receiving medical treatment, it could be a medical malpractice case. Also, if the patient gets an infection after treatment, it is a clear medical malpractice case.
If there are unexpected results from the treatment, including pain, sensation loss, and scarring – the patient is a victim of medical malpractice. Moreover, if the patient is unable to perform their daily activities, they might take it as a case of medical maltreatment.
Concerns Get Dismissed
A professional healthcare provider understands the importance of answering all questions and concerns of their patients.
It is the patient’s right to get detailed information and a clear report about their medical issue – if the doctor is dismissive of their patient’s concerns or keeps or withholds information – it is a clear sign of medical malpractice.
You might be surprised to know that there have been countless reports about physicians dismissing patients’ concerns when they might have told their patients that everything was all right and that there was nothing to worry about.
All patients deserve the best care and treatment – if the physician ends up dismissing their patient’s concerns, it is a massive indicator of medical negligence as the doctor doesn’t seem to be concerned with their patient’s well being and giving them their right to get answers.
