When you visit a doctor or hospital, you expect that the medical professional
overseeing your care is doing so with your best interests in mind. If
their actions result in a serious personal injury, you may wonder what
caused your doctor to go wrong. While it would be nice to expect that
doctors and other medical professionals would be able to fix all of our
medical problems without complications,
medical malpractice results in numerous injuries throughout the United States each year. However,
anyone that has suffered at the hands of a doctor may be entitled to take
action in a medical malpractice case.
Ways to Show Your Doctor Is At Fault
Doctors are required to uphold a standard of care in their treatment of
a patient. If they fail to do so, they must pay damages to the injured
party. How can you determine if a doctor did not uphold their standard
of care in your treatment? Below are some of the things that you can prove
with the help of a medical malpractice attorney that can show you were
wronged in your treatment.
1.
Negligence
A doctor/patient relationship existed between you and the medical professional,
that the doctor breached the duty that was owed to you and that this deviation
from the standard of care resulted in measurable injury.
2.
Negligent Prescription
A medical professional prescribed a medication to you but ignored the manufacturer’s
instructions or prescribed the incorrect dosage, and you were injured
as a result. This also can apply if a drug manufacturer did not label
the medication or inform doctor of potential side effects.
3.
Informed Consent
A patient must be informed of all the potential risks, benefits, and alternatives
and provide their written consent before a doctor can proceed with treatment.
Failing to receive informed consent can be considered negligence.
Medical malpractice cases can be difficult since many patients and even lawyers do not have
a medical degree that allows them to pinpoint the exact place where the
medical professional strayed from their standard of duty. Since so much
relies on the medical information provided by the medical professional
themselves, experts are usually called upon to bring fresh light to the
situation at hand. These medical experts practice in the field themselves
and can attest to appropriate procedure regarding your case.
Attorney Patrick L. Block has devoted his practice solely to helping victims of medical malpractice
in Portland and across Oregon. Working with highly skilled and experienced
medical experts, our firm has been able to secure
positive outcomes for our clients. Get started with a
free consultation to learn more!