When you visit a doctor or other medical professional in a clinical setting, it’s reasonable to assume you’ll receive quality care. At the end of the day, though, physicians are only human, and they can—and do—make mistakes.
Thankfully, if you were the victim of medical malpractice, you could be entitled to compensation for the associated damages. In order to build a strong claim, you’ll have to take certain steps in the aftermath of the incident.
Let’s take a look at some of the most important steps that will contribute to the strength of your case:
Following medical malpractice, your first priority should be your health. Under many circumstances, it can be a good idea to consult a different provider. Just make sure the new physician is in your insurance carrier’s network, if applicable, to avoid taking on unnecessary debt while you recover. Also, make sure you consult with an experienced attorney before leaving the practice you believe is at fault. Not properly following up and/or missing appointments with the allegedly at fault medical practice can potentially cause problems for your case.
Every successful medical malpractice claim includes strong evidence of liability, causation, and damages. As such, it’s important to preserve all your medical records, diagnostic images, prescriptions, and hospital bills. You should also save all receipts and invoices for any expenses related to the complications you suffered.
In addition to economic losses, South Carolina allows for the recovery of non-economic damages like pain and suffering, mental anguish, and loss of enjoyment in life, under certain circumstances. Therefore, it’s wise to start a personal injury journal as soon as possible.
In your journal, write about the ways in which your condition is diminishing your overall quality of life. Such entries will help you demonstrate the extent of your non-economic losses when the time comes.
The medical community knows just how problematic malpractice lawsuits can be. As such, they often try to handle them internally.
If the opposing party reaches out to you, it’s important to remember that you have competing goals. No matter how compassionate they seem, they want to resolve the situation as quickly—and cheaply—as possible. Therefore, it’s best to avoid corresponding with them at all, which brings us to the fifth and final step.
With so much at stake, it’s wise to leave your medical malpractice claim in the hands of a seasoned professional. In addition to handling all correspondence with the opposing party, a knowledgeable attorney can consult relevant specialists, track damages, commence negotiations, and—if necessary—prepare your case for litigation.
If you received substandard care in a clinical setting and suffered complications as a result, contact Hodge & Langley Law Firm. We have the resources of a large practice, but we remain committed to providing the personalized and attentive counsel of a small, local firm.
By letting us handle the logistics of your case, you can focus on more important matters, like taking care of your health. Call 864-585-3873 or fill out our Contact Form to schedule a free consultation with a medical malpractice lawyer in South Carolina.
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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