Negligence in healthcare is inexcusable.
When a good doctor, nurse, or practitioner enters the medical profession, their goal is never to undermine a patient or put them in any danger. This thing called “medical negligence” does happen from time to time, however.
It could be a result of being overworked, an improper understanding of an issue, or a miscommunication, but medical negligence ending in malpractice is all too normal in our society. In this post, we’re going to elaborate on what negligence in healthcare really means and what actions you should take when it happens to you.
99.9% of medical professionals are out there doing their best. It’s that 0.1% that we need to talk about.
What Is Negligence in Healthcare?
Many people throw around negligence and malpractice as if they’re synonymous with one another, but that’s not the case. Basically, the difference is that medical malpractice involves intent and negligence does not. However, medical negligence is usually what a malpractice case hinges on.
Negligence in the medical field involves a nurse, doctor, or any medical professional giving a patient inadequate care that can lead to some form of distress. It’s most often a misdiagnosis that leads to the need for further medical care.
As medical professionals, they have to adhere to a certain standard of practice. If the care given doesn’t stand up to what a competent peer of theirs with similar education and work backgrounds would have done, then it’s medical negligence.
Negligence won’t always result in injury. Just because a patient doesn’t suffer doesn’t mean that the medical professional wasn’t negligent. When it does result in injury is when you’ll see a malpractice suit arise.
What Steps You Have to Take
If you think that you’ve been the victim of malpractice due to the negligence of a medical professional, you’re going to want to file a claim. If you need an attorney to take your case, Gregory Fishman and Resolvly can assist your lawsuit.
Your claim has to satisfy a few key pieces of criteria if it’s going to be taken seriously; liability, causation, and cost.
Liability
First, you have to prove that the medical negligence took place, resulting in your injury or loss. The medical professional will have to be directly culpable in whatever took place to cause this problem and it has to be obvious.
Causation
Then, you’ll need to definitively prove that your injury or loss occurred as a direct result of whatever the medical professional did. For example, the doctor prescribed you a medication that they knew you were allergic to, causing you to have a reaction.
Cost
Lastly, proving cost will mean showing that the injury directly caused physical, mental, or financial stress. For example, the doctor prescribed you a medication you were allergic to, you suffered a reaction and missed work for weeks because of it. In this case, you can prove that your illness resulted in a loss of funds.
Prove all three of these and you’ll likely see your claim rewarded. If you can’t, then your case probably won’t be taken seriously.
Don’t Let Negligence Go Unpunished
Mistakes happen, but continued negligence in healthcare is unacceptable. Don’t let an injury that you know was someone else’s fault go unpunished. Contact an attorney and file a medical negligence claim so you can be rewarded for your distress.
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The Editorial Team at Healthcare Business Today is made up of skilled healthcare writers and experts, led by our managing editor, Daniel Casciato, who has over 25 years of experience in healthcare writing. Since 1998, we have produced compelling and informative content for numerous publications, establishing ourselves as a trusted resource for health and wellness information. We offer readers access to fresh health, medicine, science, and technology developments and the latest in patient news, emphasizing how these developments affect our lives.
