Negligence by a medical professional is the third leading cause of death in the United States. Unfortunately, you may need to employ a medical malpractice lawyer at some point in your life.
Here are four scenarios where medical malpractice lawyers would be necessary:
A Physician Makes a Fatal Mistake on a Loved One
During a procedure, a surgeon can be under a lot of stress, and mistakes are more likely to happen in an environment like this. If the surgeon makes a mistake that directly leads to the death of a loved one, you may have a substantial lawsuit on your hands.
There are many variables that go into a malpractice suit like this one, because not every doctor who is unsuccessful at saving a patient’s life opens themselves up to be sued.
For example, if the surgery is routine, and the doctor makes a choice during the procedure that no other doctor would make, an investigation may be opened.
A Physician Is Impaired On The Job
Doctors being impaired through drug or alcohol abuse on the job is a very serious charge that will surely result in the loss of the doctor’s medical license if proven to be true.
You may also be eligible for compensation if emotional or physical stress is inflicted upon you or a loved one as a result of the doctor’s inebriation. One doctor’s poor choice can negatively affect the rest of your life, and you should not have to sit silently.
A Physician Makes An Improper Diagnosis
A medical professional’s job is to provide adequate treatment for your ailments. If they do not properly diagnose you, they cannot recommend or provide the correct treatment.
Many diseases can be fatal if left untreated for too long. If a doctor misdiagnoses you and fails to rectify their mistake, they can potentially be sued.
Lawsuits are more likely to be successful in this scenario if the doctor fails to diagnose a common ailment. When dealing with rare diseases, the circumstances may be a little different.
A Physician Does Not Inform You Of Risk
All treatment, from medications to surgery, comes with a set of risks. These risks affect some people more severely than others. Your doctor should know your medical history well enough to know when not to give you certain medications or perform certain procedures.
For example, if you are a diabetic, a doctor should know to not prescribe a medication with a high sugar content. If you are an elderly person, a doctor should tell you that a surgery you may need will put your life at risk because of your age.
In many cases, if the patient was actually informed of the risk, they may have reconsidered consenting to the medication or surgery that caused them to fall seriously ill or die.
If you have been affected by any of these scenarios, consider contacting an attorney. We are Houston-based malpractice lawyers that will fight hard for your rights.
Please contact us for a free consultation.