Medical Malpractice Injuries: What You Need To Know

Many people experience medical malpractice every day, though not always in the form that you may think. When you think of malpractice, you are probably thinking major, traumatic injuries that result in some form of disability that is dealt with in a drawn-out lawsuit. Realistically, there are many different forms of medical malpractice that you may not even realize. The following are some less obvious forms of malpractice:

Improper Treatment

As a patient, you have a right to be treated well when you are in the care of a medical professional. This is not to say that your doctor has to have the best bedside manner, as behavior will vary from person to person. Improper treatment in this instance refers to not treating you for the correct illness or ailment you are experiencing. Giving you the wrong medicine, ordering and performing the wrong tests, or providing treatment that is unnecessary. Improper treatment also can refer to not giving you any treatment at all when you actually needing it, only to result in further illness or injury.

Wrong Diagnosis

Providing the wrong diagnosis of your illness or injury could also fall into the category of medical malpractice. Additional pain and prolonged illness or injury can happen if you are not properly diagnosed and subsequently treated. Being diagnosed incorrectly can result in more invasive treatment as your ailment progresses, which you would not necessarily have needed had you been diagnosed correctly.

Unexplained Risks

After you have consented to a test or procedure, it is the responsibility of the medical staff to fully explain any risks that you are taking by moving forward with it. If you are not provided an explanation of the potential problems that could arise because of a certain procedure or course of treatment, you are not afforded the right to decline said treatment and could, therefore, experience complications from the potential risks. Medical professionals are required to give you informed consent before moving forward. If they fail to do so and you have an injury as a result, you could have grounds for a malpractice lawsuit.

Getting injured due to malpractice and the negligence of a medical professional can be traumatizing, no matter how insignificant it may seem. If you have encountered any of these instances with a lasting injury or illness as a result, you need to consult with your attorney to ensure that your medical damages are covered. To learn more, contact a law firm like Hodge Law Firm.