
Any human, including doctors, can overlook details and make mistakes. When these errors occur while providing care to patients, a doctor may be found to have committed medical malpractice. By providing substandard medical attention, a doctor can cause their patient to have worsened or new symptoms and conditions. A patient may even lose their life because of a doctor’s grave inaccuracy. While this is a scary prospect to consider, by knowing the red flags you can help protect yourself and your family, while reducing the chances of being harmed by negligence. If you’d like to know more about medical malpractice and what you must know, read on.
You were diagnosed without testing.
Diagnosis should only be concluded after medical testing is performed. If you were diagnosed with a condition and had not undergone any type of laboratory testing, it may be time to ask your doctor about why that isn’t happening for you. As a medical malpractice lawyer residents trust from Disparti Law Group can attest, a common sign of malpractice is a doctor that doesn’t run diagnostic tests, such as blood tests, biopsies, urine samples, and more.
You are having symptoms that don’t match diagnosis.
Misdiagnosis is among the most prevalent forms of medical malpractice. If your diagnosis does not match the symptoms you are having, it is possible that you were incorrectly diagnosed. In cases like these, you will need to ask your doctor questions about why certain symptoms do not match the diagnosis. It may be wise to get a second, or even third, opinion from a physician at another medical facility. It’s better to not let the doctor who made a mistake know that you suspect malpractice, as your lawyer can intervene accordingly when the time comes.
Your doctor is avoiding direct questions or explanations.
Your doctor should be giving you answers to questions that are precise and clear, so that you are not left feeling confused about the diagnosis or care plan. Vague or elusive answers can indicate that a mistake was made by your doctor at some point, and now they are attempting to cover up their error while avoiding sharing the truth. Your lawyer, like a team member from Disparti Law Group, is a reliable resource to turn to if you aren’t sure if medical malpractice has happened to you.
You are experiencing deteriorating health despite treatment.
Some conditions may be terminal, and treatments may only offer minimal relief instead of reversing the progression of the illness. However, if your diagnosis was non-terminal and you should be responding positively to treatment, but aren’t, then this is a warning sign that your doctor may have made a medical mistake. Seeking a second or third opinion is these kinds of situations that can be what is critical to uncovering potential malpractice and ensuring the patient gets the right diagnosis and care they need.