“How can I help prevent a hospital accident from injuring me?”
Ultimately, your fate will be in the hands of your medical providers, and that can be very scary for many patients. At Rasmussen & Miner, our hospital accident lawyer has seen many negative outcomes due to the negligence or carelessness of a physician or other caregiver. However, there are some precautions you can take as a patient to safeguard your health and safety as much as possible. If something does go wrong and you are injured, we urge you to call us to learn how we can help you. If you have already sustained a serious injury while in the care of a medical provider, we encourage you to request a free consultation with our hospital accident lawyer.
Your Legal Rights as a Patient
Medical providers have a legal, moral, and ethical responsibility to provide safe and effective treatment to their patients in a manner that is reasonably expected. For example, if a patient has been diagnosed with untreatable cancer, their physician is not going to be able to heal them. However, the physician may be able to provide end-of-life treatment to make the patient more comfortable. When the patient expires from cancer, the physician is not to blame. By contrast, if a patient undergoes routine treatment for a common condition, the physician is expected to provide the same level of care that any other reasonable physician in their situation would provide the patient. If the physician does not fulfill their duty of care, and the patient suffers as a result, they have legal recourse against their physician. If the patient dies as a result of the physician’s negligence or carelessness, the patient’s surviving family member can file a wrongful death lawsuit against the physician.
Hospital Accident Prevention
As mentioned, it is ultimately the responsibility of the hospital, staff, and medical providers to treat you while in their care and to protect your health as much as reasonably possible. However, there are some proactive measures you can take as a patient to help prevent a hospital accident and the need for hiring a hospital accident lawyer.
Here are some suggestions:
- Ask your physician as many questions as necessary in order to understand their diagnosis of your condition and their treatment recommendations. Asking questions is very difficult for many patients, and it’s not made any easier by physicians who do not have a good bedside manner. However, it is your right as a patient to understand what is happening to your own body. If your physician is not open to answering your questions, consider getting a second or even a third opinion from alternate doctors.
- Prior to undergoing surgery, ask your surgeon what methods they use to ensure that you will be operated on in the right part of the body. You may be surprised at how common this type of hospital accident can be—surgeons often remove the wrong organs or appendages. If you are not comfortable with their methods to prepare for surgery, you have the right as a patient to express your concerns. You also have the right to switch surgeons or hospitals.
- Perform your due diligence with regard to your physician or surgeon. Check the Internet for reviews, ask your friends and family, and inquire from all available sources about the skill level and reputation of the medical provider. If you have any doubts about their ability, now is the time to consider seeking a second or third opinion from another doctor with a stronger reputation.
If you believe you suffered from an avoidable hospital accident and were seriously injured as a result, call our office. We offer victims of medical provider negligence a free consultation with our hospital accident lawyer.