One day your loved one is perfectly healthy. The next, you get a call saying that they passed away. The doctor failed to diagnose them and so, they lost them.
This scenario affects more families than it should. In fact, medical malpractice is the third most common cause of death in the US.
Depending on the situation and medical malpractice laws, you might be able to make a claim and get compensation for your loved one’s death.
Before you get on the phone with a lawyer, you have to find out if what happened to them qualifies as malpractice. Check out this guide for a quick run-through of the laws.
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What is Medical Malpractice?
Medical malpractice is any action that a doctor takes that causes injury or death to their patient. This doesn’t mean that you can sue your loved one’s doctor because their treatment didn’t end well.
You can only sue if they died as a direct result of something the doctor did. There are three basic things that count as malpractice. The doctor refused to diagnose the patient, the treatment they gave the patient was subpar at best, or they didn’t tell a patient about the risks of the treatment before going forward with it.
Wrong Diagnoses
When your loved one gets sick, you take them to the best doctor around. For some reason, the physician can’t figure out what’s wrong with them. They barely even try.
This leads to a wrong diagnosis. As a result, their condition worsens and they pass away. You may have a malpractice case because they died due to the doctor’s incompetence.
Horrible Treatment
There are a few things that qualify as horrible treatment. If they stick your loved one in a hospital room and fail to monitor them as they should, that’s malpractice.
If they choose the right treatment option for them but does it horribly, that’s malpractice. If they’re rough in their treatment methods or chooses the wrong one on purpose, that’s malpractice.
Failure to Tell a Patient About Treatment Risks
The doctor diagnoses your loved one and tells them about a treatment method that will help them. What they don’t tell them is that the success rate for the treatment isn’t that high. Of course, your loved one agrees to the surgery because as far as they’re concerned, there are no risks.
If they’re injured due to the surgery or dies on the operating table, it counts as medical malpractice. A doctor is required to tell someone about all the details of a treatment before it’s administered. That includes the risks.
Call your lawyer right away if something like this happens. If you need some help choosing one, here are some simple tips that might help.
Medical Malpractice Laws You Should Know
Has one of your loved ones been injured or passed away due to the neglect of a physician? You should call a lawyer and make a claim. They’ll be able to go over the medical malpractice laws with you and help you fill out all the paperwork necessary to make sure you get the compensation that you deserve.
Are you looking for more ways to navigate your way around the law world? Check out our blog daily for even more tips that you’ve got to know.
