Medical malpractice is a civil or criminal wrong committed by a healthcare provider that leads to injury, illness, or death. It also refers to the act of causing harm through negligence. Medical malpractice can take many forms including misconduct, errors, incompetence, and oversights during diagnosis, treatment, prescription, and surgery. Because most medical records are private, information that is not commonly shared with the public at large, understanding how medical malpractice happens often remains difficult for patients and their loved ones who need an explanation for their injury or illness.
Medical practice sometimes can cause physical and emotional harm. Patients can be physically hurt or debilitated due to medical malpractice. Others can suffer from depression which can lead to suicide or other extreme behaviors as a result of an illness that causes severe pain and suffering. Therefore, if you or your loved ones have been a victim of medical malpractice, then it is essential to hire an Atlanta personal injury attorney and discuss the scope of compensation.
Why You Should Hire a Lawyer When You Suspect Medical Malpractice?
Many medical malpractice lawsuits against doctors, hospitals, and healthcare facilities go unreported. This is because patients may be hesitant to discuss the situation with their own doctor or family members who are more often than not reluctant to report a patient’s condition that has a possible connection with medical malpractice.
Furthermore, since most doctors often do not talk about the negative aspects of their job or talk about the terrible things that can happen in health care, it is oftentimes difficult for patients to realize that something terrible has happened to them. So when patients or loved ones have serious doubts about the care they received from their doctors, it is essential for them to seek legal advice.
What Do I Need to Include in My Medical Malpractice Lawsuit?
To be successful in a medical malpractice lawsuit, you need to have several pieces of vital evidence including medical records, police reports, and other available documents. You also need to exercise patience as some cases may take a while to resolve.
Medical malpractice is not a “black-and-white” issue. It can vary from case to case with respect to the nature of the harm suffered by the patient and how negligent the doctor was during treatment.
In simple terms, medical malpractice occurs when a doctor either makes an inaccurate diagnosis or fails to perform adequate recovery measures on his patient causing injury or death.
