3 Basics Of Medical Malpractice Cases You Should Know
What You Need to Know Before Launching a Medical Malpractice Case
Few professionals are trusted more in our society than doctors. In many cases, we truly do put our lives in their hands. The Hippocratic Oath, which all doctors swear by before officially becoming part of the cadre, essentially says that doctors must never knowingly cause harm, though unfortunately not every medical practitioner has lived up to this standard. There are also medical professionals who cause harm because of negligence; though their intent is good, they usually cause harm by being unskilled or unqualified.
If you’ve been harmed by a medical professional, you may consider filing a medical malpractice lawsuit with assistance from a medical malpractice attorney. Before you launch a medical malpractice case, read through the sections below, where our qualified and highly skilled attorneys discuss three important facts about medical malpractice lawsuits.
#1 You Must Have Had a Preexisting Doctor-Patient Relationship
For a medical malpractice suit to get off the ground, you must first show that you had a relationship with the plaintiff medical professional. In other words, there must have been a transactional relationship between the two of you; you hired them for their expertise and they agreed. So suing a doctor you overhear giving medical advice at the grocery store will not hold up in court. It shouldn’t be hard to prove a preexisting relationship; if you have trouble doing this, you may face some headwinds immediately in the process.
#2 Proving a Medical Professional’s Negligence
You can’t sue a medical professional just because you did not like the quality of care they delivered; you must show that their care caused you meaningful harm. The actions or inactions of a negligent doctor can affect a patient in numerous ways. For example, a doctor may miss something in a diagnosis or prescribe a harmful medication. Also, it must be shown that a standard, competent doctor would not have acted as your doctor did. Doctors are required to provide “reasonably skillful care,” and proving that your doctor didn’t do this will probably be the most important part of your medical malpractice lawsuit. Also, a medical malpractice attorney could get a third-party medical professional to defend your argument(s).
#3 Linking Injuries/Damages to a Medical Professional
To be awarded compensation from a medical malpractice case, you must show that the medical professional you’re suing directly caused the harm/damages in question. Proving direct harm is often difficult in medical malpractice cases, in part because the plaintiffs in such cases are usually sick or facing medical challenges. So, for example, if you’re a cancer patient who’s suing over improper chemotherapy treatment, it’ll be difficult to prove that treatment caused you more harm than the disease.
Working With Sandberg Law Firm
To ensure your medical malpractice lawsuit is processed with help from expert lawyers, contact Sandberg Law Firm. For years, our highly skilled attorneys have been delivering first-rate medical malpractice legal help. We’ll ensure your rights are protected while we try to secure compensation for you. Call (507) 282-3521 or contact us online.