Hospital Malpractice Lawyer Salt Lake City, Utah
If you’ve been the unfortunate victim of medical malpractice, it might seem like the whole world is out to get you. After all, the doctor you trusted most to ensure your health has not fulfilled their primary function to you as a patient. This can leave you stressed, financially insecure, and confused.
This confusion likely stems from widespread rumors that have infiltrated medical malpractice law. Before you visit your medical malpractice attorney, here are some common misconceptions you should rethink regarding medical malpractice.
Fact or fiction: I can only sue my doctor if they have given me improper treatment
This is fiction. There are actually a number of reasons you can sue your doctor, including improper treatment. Medical malpractice covers a wide number of situations where your health was put at risk.
Medical malpractice often falls into one of these three categories: improper treatment, a failure to diagnose, or failing to discuss all options with a patient.
Improper treatment can be the case if your doctor treats you inappropriately or fails to select the appropriate treatment options after a diagnosis is made. This might be a full-blown surgery for something seemingly minute or a misdiagnosis of your health condition. If you’ve heard the stories about a sponge being left in the body of a patient during surgery, you have heard of improper treatment.
A failure to diagnose: If your doctor misdiagnoses a health condition or fails to diagnose one altogether, you may have a lawsuit on your hands. This, of course, relies on the fact that your medical issue would have otherwise been found by a competent doctor. A misdiagnosis of your health might lead to unnecessary costs for inappropriate medications or it might even lead to death should a more serious illness be ignored.
A failure to discuss options: It’s the job of your doctor to discuss all possible treatment options with their patient. If a doctor wants to wheel you into surgery, they have to tell you about the possible risks, issues in recovery time, and how much it will cost. If the doctor fails to warn the patient of common risks associated with a certain treatment, procedure, or medication, then the doctor can be held liable for negative outcomes that the patient was unaware of.
All these factors boil down to one big issue on the doctor’s part: negligence. Negligent behavior is the frontrunner who leads the charge in medical malpractice. When all is said and done, it’s the duty of your doctor to do their job efficiently and effectively for the sake of their patients.
Fact or fiction: My case won’t be taken seriously because of petty lawsuits
Though some people may try to take advantage of the U.S. legal system, filing a medical malpractice lawsuit is not an efficient way to get rich quick. In fact, some lawsuits can take years to reach a settlement.
A recent study by the Harvard School for Public Health found that among 1,500 medical malpractice files claimed, only 3% lacked the merit to hold up in court. For the other 97%, the plaintiffs were well within their legal means of engaging in this legal battle.
No person should be injured or misinformed by their doctors. If you’ve encountered medical malpractice, rely on a hospital malpractice lawyer Salt Lake City, Utah relies on at Rasmussen & Miner to get you the compensation you deserve.