Making a medical malpractice claim is no small feat. After all, it requires that you take legal action against someone with an advanced degree and likely a powerful corporate employer. However, you may feel driven to pursue justice when a medical mistake has caused hardship for you or a member of your family.
Medical malpractice comes in many different forms, and all of them can be devastating in different situations. How do you prove that you have experienced some kind of medical malpractice?
You need copies of your medical records
One of the first steps that you need to take when you suspect medical misconduct, misdiagnosis or neglect is to obtain copies of the relevant medical records. What the physician or hospital included in your chart could influence the success of your claim.
All patients have the right to access their own medical records, although some medical practices will require that you pay a per-page fee for the copying service if you want physical copies.
You may need the agreement of a medical professional
You will likely need a second opinion or an outside expert to show that your doctor provided you with an inadequate level of care. To achieve that, you generally need to have another doctor review the treatment or testing you received.
If another medical professional readily agrees that your doctor did not follow the established best practices for this kind of diagnosis or did not do what another reasonable doctor would do in the same situation, you may have grounds for a malpractice claim.
Although it can take a while to develop a medical malpractice claim, seeking justice after a medical mistake could benefit your entire family.