How To React When A Medical Malpractice Causes You Injury
How you react after experiencing a medical malpractice is very important. It may determine not only how fast you get medical remedy, but also your chances of getting a settlement later on. Here are some of the essential steps you should take:
Contact the Responsible Professional
The first step is to contact the medical professional responsible for your injury. If you don't know the individual, just contact the practice where you treated. You may be angry, which is understandable, but it is also in your interest to make this contact first before seeking legal help or treatment from another doctor.
Explain your concerns well, and the practice may help you before the injury worsens. Describe all your symptoms, even if you think they are related to the malpractice. Due to his or her training and experience, a doctor may unearth a relevant connection between them and the medical practitioner's neglect.
Get Treatment Immediately
Even if the practice responsible for your injury doesn't help, you still need to by getting medical treatment. For example, if a wrong part of your body was operated on, then you may still need surgery on the correct part of the body. This is necessary not only for your health, but also as a form of damage mitigation. If you don't act fast, then the insurance company may later argue that you contributed to the extent of your injuries because of failure to get medical help.
Document Your Injuries
It is important to keep a detailed diary of your injuries from the date you realized that something was wrong. This will come in handy when the time comes for you to file a claim. Other records to keep include:
- Medical bills
- All correspondences from the responsible doctor or hospital
- Witness' contacts
Consult an Attorney
The sooner you consult your attorney, the easier it will be to help with your medical malpractice claim. This is not only because of the statute of limitations, but also because of the need to get a clear connection between your injuries and the malpractice. Consult an attorney even if the responsible party has treated your injuries; there may be further consequences to the injuries that you may not realize at the time. This is also why you need to be candid with your attorney.
Although you should not exaggerate your injuries, you shouldn't belittle them too. Don't forget that some injuries may have far-reaching consequences that you may not be privy to at the present. Check out sites like http://asmlegal.net/ for more information.
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