Injuries and deaths caused by substandard medical care are major public health problems in the United States. A Johns Hopkins researcher discovered that medical mistakes kill more than 250,000 people each year. Too many of these unfortunate victims of medical negligence live in the state of Georgia.
If you think you are a victim of medical negligence, you should take action right away. Consult an Atlanta medical malpractice attorney to discuss your case.
If you have any reason to suspect medical malpractice, please follow these steps:
Get a Second Opinion
If you have reason to suspect medical malpractice, your first step should be to find a new doctor who can provide a second opinion and help lessen the impact of the initial mistake. Get a second opinion from a doctor if you think you may have experienced medical malpractice, such as a wrong diagnosis or botched surgery. Going for a second opinion can help keep your health from deteriorating.
In other words, do as your new doctor tells you to.
You must take reasonable steps to lessen the amount of injury you suffered as a result of medical malpractice. Damages that could have been prevented via reasonable precautions are not compensable in a medical malpractice lawsuit if the plaintiff does not take reasonable steps to reduce those damages. You need to take all prescribed prescriptions and show up for all scheduled checkups.
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Be sure to keep detailed records of everything
You should preserve a record of your medical records if you suspect misconduct. In cases of malpractice against medical professionals, medical records are essential. When dealing with a medical malpractice case, however, medical records are not the only proof you’ll need. Photos of your actual wounds, for instance, may be required. Having photographic evidence of your injuries is helpful in court. Document everything you discuss with or ask of your doctor or their office.
Talk to a Lawyer About Medical Mistakes
Get in touch with a lawyer experienced in medical malpractice as soon as you suspect wrongdoing. Hiring a lawyer will help you avoid missing the deadline for filing your medical malpractice claim. There is a time limit on filing a medical malpractice lawsuit in Georgia. A good lawyer will help you file your medical malpractice claim on time and will represent you in court or negotiate a settlement if necessary.
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Some Possible Warning Signs of Misconduct
The mere fact that you are unhappy with the treatment you received from a medical professional does not prove that carelessness occurred. However, you may have grounds for malpractice suits if you sought help from a medical professional and then experienced a significant deterioration in your condition. It could be clear right away that something went wrong in certain situations. For instance, if a nurse gives you a drug to which you are allergic, as noted in your medical record, you will experience rapid and severe side effects. However, the effects of something like a surgeon’s blunder during surgery can not become apparent for months or even years thereafter. Not all of the following may be indicative of medical negligence, but they are all red flags:
- The treating physician does not check in with you following treatment.
- What the doctor prescribed isn’t working or is really making things worse.
- You start experiencing new aches and symptoms that stick around for several days to weeks.
- The medical staff either doesn’t believe or ignores your complaints.
- It doesn’t look like your diagnosis is being reflected in your care.
- You weren’t given enough information to make an informed decision about your care. Therefore, you didn’t provide your agreement to proceed with it.
- You go home from the hospital and immediately begin to feel sick.
I Think I’ve Been a Victim of Medical Mistakes ─ Now What?
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In the wake of medical negligence, many people feel lost. Many people are reluctant to begin investigations into the issue because they feel overwhelmed by not knowing where to begin and the complexity of the underlying legal issues. It’s only normal to want to get in touch with the medical facility where you were treated first. You could try talking to them about what happened and letting them know your suspicions regarding medical malpractice. However, there are a few problems with this plan.
When it comes to cases of medical malpractice, the issue of the statute of limitations is an essential one. The statute of limitations specifies the time you have to bring a claim for compensation in the appropriate jurisdiction after an event. In the state of Mississippi, the statute of limitations begins to run two years after the day a healthcare professional performs the negligent act that led to the damage.
Depending on when the damage was identified, this time limit may be pushed back. Because it can be very challenging to provide evidence of medical negligence, it is essential to get in touch with your attorney as soon as possible in order to begin analyzing the specifics of the scenario and determining what course of action is appropriate. Even if you haven’t yet consulted a legal professional, it is possible that the discovery of the illness and the beginning of legal action can be attributed to the fact that you contacted the doctor or hospital yourself and accused them of negligence. This could be the case even if the hospital or doctor denies they were negligent. Because of this, there is a possibility that your claim will be rejected because of difficulties relating to the statute of limitations.
The legislation regarding medical malpractice is a severe subject governed by a convoluted set of guidelines and due dates. If you are even in the early stages of wondering whether or not you were a victim of medical negligence, it is highly recommended that you reach out to a seasoned legal professional for advice before moving forward with anything. This is because moving forward with anything could have serious consequences. If you go on with your case without the assistance of an experienced attorney, the chances that your claim will be rejected are significantly increased, and you will not be able to collect the compensation you require to cover your medical bills, lost earnings, and any other associated costs.
