Since medicine isn’t actually an exact science, determining when malpractice has occurred can pose a challenge. Just because a patient suffers unanticipated complications, for example, doesn’t mean they were mistreated by their providers.
For malpractice to have occurred—and, consequently, for the patient to have grounds for legal action—the medical team must have breached their duty of care. Put another, they must have deviated from the most widely accepted protocols given the circumstance.
If you think you might have received substandard care but you’re not entirely sure whether it’s worth reaching out to an attorney, ask yourself the following:
While there are exceptions—some procedures are incredibly invasive, for example, and can make you feel worse before you feel better—it’s reasonable to assume that your symptoms will go away once you start treatment. If your condition has not improved—or if it has worsened—your providers may have committed malpractice.
Physicians have an obligation to obtain informed consent from their patients before proceeding with any proposed treatment plans. Put another way, they must explain all the most common risks of a procedure in terms that the patient can understand before getting started. If you were never informed of the side effects that you suffered, it’s worth consulting an attorney.
Does your diagnosis actually make sense when you consider the symptoms you have? Did you seek a second opinion and get a totally different diagnosis?
Diagnostic errors are one of the most common kinds of medical mistakes, and their consequences can be devastating. If your diagnosis was incorrect, you may be entitled to compensation for the losses you suffered as a result of delaying the treatment you needed.
Did you experience complications that the medical team never explained to you when obtaining your consent? Was your recovery supposed to be far easier—or shorter—than it actually was? If your experience didn’t line up with the norm, there’s a chance your medical team made an avoidable mistake.
The doctor/patient relationship doesn’t end once treatment has been administered. In most cases, providers have an obligation to follow up with their patients and confirm that they’re doing okay. If your medical team never scheduled any follow-up visits or called to check in on you, it could constitute negligence.
Are you starting to suspect that you were the victim of medical malpractice? To see if you have grounds for a claim, turn to Hodge & Langley Law Firm.
Our compassionate team is backed by more than 50 years of collective experience in the legal field. To set up a free initial consultation with a medical malpractice lawyer in South Carolina, complete our Contact Form or call 864-585-3873.
Submission of information in this contact form does not establish an attorney-client relationship. In order to establish such a relationship with our firm we require a direct meeting with the attorney.
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