3 Ways to Protect Yourself from Medical Malpractice

Medical malpractice occurs more often than you might think. Every year in the United States there are about 250,000 deaths each year due to medical malpractice. This does not include the many people injured by medical errors and neglect each year. It is important that you make an attempt to protect yourself against harm from medical malpractice. Here are some tips to help you protect yourself.

Get a Second Opinion

If a treatment seems too extreme or you’re not sure of a diagnosis, it is a good idea to get a second opinion from another doctor. Getting a second opinion should be fine with your primary physician as long as they have nothing to hide. You have nothing to be ashamed of or afraid of when asking for another opinion from another doctor.

Your doctor may attempt to have you get your second opinion from someone in their office. This is rarely a good idea. Doctors within the same practice are going to protect each other. Instead, go to a completely different practice and an unrelated doctor. Provide all of your medical records, consent to any additional tests, and have the second doctor either confirm or deny the diagnosis. If the two doctors disagree, you may need a third opinion to decide which doctor is being the most trustworthy.

Research Your Conditions

Whenever you are diagnosed with a new condition or prescribed a new medication, do the research to learn everything you can about it. By arming yourself with knowledge you will be better able to understand what your doctor is doing with their treatment options. It will also help you identify if anything seems off or a mistake seems to have been made.

Hire an Attorney

If you believe that you have been the victim of medical malpractice, do not continue seeing the doctor in question. Immediately go to another unrelated doctor for diagnosis and treatment, and you should contact an attorney right away. A new doctor and your attorney can work together to determine if the medical professional was negligent or liable for your medical conditions. Contact us today for more information or a free consultation.