Doctors – like any human – can make mistakes and overlook things. When these oversights occur as they provide care to patients, however, they can end up having tragically harmful, if not life-threatening, complications.
While this can be scary to consider, knowing the red flags of medical malpractice can help you protect yourself and minimize the chances you will be gravely harmed by such negligence.
Red Flags of Medical Malpractice
1 – Experiencing symptoms that don’t match your diagnosis
At least 1 in every 25 patients in the U.S. is misdiagnosed, researchers have found. This means that misdiagnoses are among the most prominent forms of medical malpractice. So, if your diagnosis doesn’t fit some of the symptoms you are exhibiting, it’s quite possible that you have been misdiagnosed.
In these cases, it can be important to start asking your doctor some questions about why these symptoms don’t fit his or her diagnosis. It’s also usually wise to consider seeking a second or third opinion, as these other opinions can reveal if the first doctor has made a mistake or oversight.
2 – Getting diagnosed without any (or with minimal) medical testing
Diagnoses should usually come after some medical testing, particularly for more serious medical conditions.
So, if you have been diagnosed with a medical condition and didn’t undergo any testing (or any of the common tests that are run during the diagnostic process, such as biopsies, blood tests, etc.), again, it may be time to start asking some pointed questions, as this can be a warning sign of malpractice.
3 – Getting elusive answers from a doctor
Is your doctor giving you imprecise or elusive answers to your questions regarding your diagnosis, condition and/or treatments? Such responses can indicate that a mistake may have been made at some point during your care and that, now, a physician is trying to cover up the mistake and avoid telling you truth.
4 – Experiencing deteriorating health even though you are following through will all prescribed treatments
For some conditions (like terminal cancer, for instance), treatments may only end up offering minimal help, relieving pain, rather than reversing the progression of the condition. If, however, you have been diagnosed with a non-terminal condition that should responding to treatment but is not, this, again, can be another indication of a medical mistake.
Getting a second or third opinion in these situations can also be crucial to uncovering possible medical malpractice.
Contact a Kingston Personal Injury Lawyer at Charles N. Rock, P.L.L.C.
Have you or someone you love been injured by a doctor’s mistakes or any form of medical negligence? If so, you can turn to Kingston Personal Injury Lawyer Charles N. Rock for aggressive legal advocacy and effective help obtaining the compensation to which you may be entitled.
To find out more about your best options for moving forward, contact us today to schedule a free, no obligations initial consultation. You can set up this meeting by calling (845) 383–1170 or by emailing us using the contact form on this page. To ensure that you have the legal support you need now, Attorney Charles N. Rock can meet you at your home or a hospital when needed.