Your doctor or surgeon has received extensive education, gone through rigorous training, and obtained years of experience to gain the specialized knowledge required to identify and treat the multitude of conditions which can affect the human body. You, on the other hand, have not. That is why you, like almost all patients, rely on your physician’s skill and judgment. That is also why it is difficult for patients to know whether their doctor has made a mistake. But every year, the lives of hundreds of thousands of Americans are upended or cut short because of medical errors. If you suspect your doctor may have made a mistake in diagnosing, treating, or performing surgery on you, it is important to know what steps to take to get answers, preserve your rights and, critically, receive the appropriate medical care that can address or remedy your doctor’s mistake. Here are three steps to take if you suspect that your doctor made a medical mistake:
Speak up.
Medical mistakes can be life or death situations. An injury or condition caused or made worse by a physician’s error may need immediate treatment in order to prevent further disaster. If you are experiencing health problems, tell your doctor what you are feeling physically and express your concerns that a mistake might have been made. They may be willing and able to fix the error, or they may be uncooperative and reluctant to do anything that could be interpreted as an admission that something went wrong. If the latter, you need to take additional action right then.
Speak with an experienced medical malpractice lawyer immediately.
As noted, you may not know for sure that your doctor committed made a mistake or committed malpractice. But an experienced medical malpractice attorney, working in conjunction with highly-credentialed medical experts, can review your medical records, evaluate your course of treatment and the physician’s actions, and determine whether he or she breached the standard of care such that you have a viable medical malpractice claim. Additionally, there are strict time limits and other requirements for medical malpractice lawsuits in Louisiana. If you wait too long to meet with an attorney, you could lose any rights you have to compensation. The sooner you retain a New Orleans medical malpractice attorney, the sooner they can protect vital evidence and begin building the strongest possible case.
Keep good records.
To recover compensation in a medical malpractice lawsuit, a plaintiff needs to prove to a judge or jury the nature and extent of the injuries and losses suffered because of the doctor’s malpractice. This can include “economic damages” for out-of-pocket costs such as medical expenses, lost wages, and other losses that can be objectively calculated. You may also be entitled to “non-economic damages” for losses such as pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, loss of support and companionship, and the day-to-day challenges you face because of your injury. Keep track of your costs and expenses, but also take the time to regularly write down in a journal or diary the pain you are experiencing or other challenges you’ve faced since being treated by your doctor.
Speak With an Experienced New Orleans Medical Malpractice Lawyer Today
If you believe you or a loved one has been a victim of medical malpractice, please call the New Orleans medical malpractice lawyers at Bloom Legal today at 504-599-9997 or through our contact form to arrange for your free consultation to discuss the details of your case.
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