What Should I Do After a Medical Mistake?

It may be difficult to believe that you would go into a doctor’s office or a hospital for treatment and be injured by the very people who are there to help you. However, this does happen every day in hospitals and medical facilities throughout California and Sacramento. Medical malpractice involves more than just a bad result — it involves the injury of a patient though the negligence or carelessness of medical providers.

In many cases, patients may not even be aware of the injury until days or weeks after being released from the physician’s care. Therefore, the first step is to contact an experienced Sacramento medical malpractice attorney as soon as you suspect you may have been injured due to medical malpractice.

In many cases, you may be limited in the amount of time you are permitted to file a medical malpractice claim. Therefore, contacting a medical malpractice attorney as soon as possible is vital in protecting your rights to collect compensation. A Sacramento medical malpractice attorney with extensive experience in determining the causes and types of medical injuries can help determine what type of claim you may have, who is responsible for your injuries and the compensation that will be available to your for your damages.

The insurance company for the medical provider or the hospital may want to take a recorded statement following the discovery of the injury. However, any statements that you make could be taken out of context or be incomplete so that it hurts your claim later in the case. Before you speak with any insurance adjuster or an attorney for the medical provider or insurance company, you should meet with a qualified medical malpractice attorney.

Providing recorded statements, signing various documents or discussing your claim with anyone prior to consulting with a personal injury attorney may affect your right to pursue the claim or lower the amount of damages that you will be able to recover. Most medical malpractice attorneys offer free consultations; therefore, it does not cost you anything to get advice that may increase your chances of a fair and just settlement for your injuries.

• Document everything that happens to you when you are being treated for an illness or you are preparing for surgery

• Keep a journal or log of everyone you talk to including their names, positions, dates and what was said

• Write down (or have someone do this for you) all instructions you are given including the name of the person giving the insurance and the date of the instruction

• Ask questions of medical providers and note their responses. If you feel at all nervous or anxious, do not be afraid to voice your concerns.

• Photograph injuries, especially if they appear to be more severe than expected or they are abnormal compared to the results you expected.

• Keep copies of important documents and all information provided by any medical provider or facility.