We depend on doctors and other medical professionals for their expertise. This makes us vulnerable. We put our trust in their training, experience and skill to help us achieve our goals. The consequences of a healthcare professional not living up to this great responsibility can be disastrous for the patient.
Patients have the right to take legal action when a medical professional is careless or makes a mistake which results in the patient suffering harm. This is known as a medical malpractice claim. However, very few are willing to take on their health care providers in court. There are several reasons for this:
Patients may not realize that their injuries are a direct result of a medical error
Health care providers don’t always inform their patients that an error was made and their injuries resulted from this error. Many will disclose only part of the information and without letting the patient or the family know that the medical provider was at fault. Health care providers in some cases may also not realize that an error was made and therefore the patient will remain in the dark.
Patients do not want to sue their doctors
Physicians are highly respected in our society and many people are reluctant to file suit for fear of offending them.
Patients may be intimidated by the litigation process
Filing a medical malpractice lawsuit is a complex process. Many patients are intimidated by this. Many forgo this course of action because they fear that the time and energy needed to file suit will be overwhelming and they are already suffering.
Litigation can be expensive
Many patients forgo litigation as it can be expensive. They believe that they do not have the financial resources to pay attorneys’ fees or court costs. The good news here is that most medical malpractice attorneys handle claims on a contingency fee basis which means that the plaintiffs do not have to pay any money up front and the attorney only gets paid if the plaintiff wins or the case settles.
Why You Should Act
If you’ve been injured as a result of the negligence of a healthcare provider, you should consider filing a medical malpractice lawsuit. If you’re unsure, you should think about what will happen if you don’t. Although many medical mistakes are preventable, many injuries still occur. When a person who is injured doesn’t act, the same mistake is more likely to occur to another person. Filing a lawsuit brings the error out into the open and thus reduces the chances of this mistake occurring again. Filing a lawsuit ensures that the healthcare provider is held accountable for his or her negligence.
Don’t wait. Contact a medical malpractice lawyer today.
