How to Prepare for Your First Meeting with a Medical Malpractice Attorney

Putting together a strong medical malpractice claim is inherently challenging. Since these cases are notoriously complex, they often demand a lot more evidence—including compelling testimony from a host of experts—than the average personal injury claim.

While it’s important to put in the work when building your claim, there’s no way to guarantee it will yield a payout. You can, however, ensure it gets off to a strong start by doing the following before you meet with a medical malpractice attorney:

1. Compile All Relevant Records

Your medical records will inevitably play a critical role when it comes to proving all four elements of negligence: a duty of care, a breach of duty, causation, and damages. Before your initial consultation, call all the providers whom you saw for both the initial issue and the subsequent complications and request copies of everything. Such records might include:

• Ambulance reports,
• Hospital intake forms,
• Hospital release forms,
• Prescriptions,
• Diagnostic images,
• Treatment plans,
• Nursing logs,
• Psychological evaluations, and
• Health insurance statements.

2. Write Down a Timeline of Events

As soon as you have reason to believe you may have been the victim of malpractice, write down everything you can remember about what happened. If you’re unsure where to start, here are some of the most important topics to address:

• The reason why you sought care in the first place,
• The diagnostic tests that were administered,
• The diagnosis and associated prognosis your provider gave you,
• The treatments you received,
• The extent of any conversations you had with your provider about potential complications,
• When you first started suffering complications (or when your provider started neglecting you),
• How your provider responded to the complications,
• How you proceeded after realizing you were receiving substandard care,
• How your next provider responded to the situation, and
• The kinds of losses you incurred along the way.

Be as specific as possible in your retelling of events. If you cannot remember everything, consult those who took you to appointments or cared for you after any invasive procedures. Their testimony could bolster your claim considerably.

3. Gather Any Correspondence You’ve Had with the Opposing Party

If you’ve had any contact with the provider or facility in question since the malpractice occurred, compile it for your legal team to review. Correspondence worth presenting at your consultation includes emails, letters, text messages, voicemails, and any notes you’ve taken during and after doctor’s appointments.

Speak with a South Carolina Medical Malpractice Lawyer

Did you suffer serious complications after receiving substandard care in a medical facility? For help holding the liable parties accountable, turn to Hodge & Langley Law Firm.

Backed by more than 50 years of experience, our legal team is well-versed in tort law, including personal injury actions against health care providers and facilities. To set up a free initial consultation with a medical malpractice attorney in South Carolina, call 864-585-3873 or fill out the Contact Form on our website.