Negligence is always a possible problem that can lead to injuries. When it’s in a medical setting, individuals may struggle with the reality of being victims of medical malpractice. Professional negligence in a medical setting can cause serious injuries or even death, so it’s vital that medical providers do all they can to be attentive to their patients’ needs.
The general rule with negligence is that people need to take reasonable steps to avoid hurting other people. With professional negligence, you’re held to a high standard of care in line with others in your field. For medical providers, that means providing the best possible care to patients.
What happens when a medical provider is negligent?
Negligence could mean missing a diagnosis, forgetting to return a patient’s call or other actions that may affect the patient’s life.
For instance, if your doctor misdiagnoses you but a different medical provider would have been able to identify the problem and treat you appropriately based on the same information, you may be able to show that there was negligence or a medical error to blame for your worsening condition.
When you get ready to file a claim for medical malpractice, you will need to show that other medical professionals would not have made the same mistakes or that the provider you had made a mistake so obvious that it was unacceptable. For instance, an emergency room doctor who forgets to see a patient or to return with medications could have a very ill person on their hands or one who can no longer be saved.
Our site has more on malpractice and what to do if you or a loved one was a victim.