When entering a hospital, most patients are under the impression that they are in good hands. Physicians and trained nurses are supposed to make patients feel safe and comfortable. Unfortunately, accidents do happen and patients wind up injured or even fighting for their lives. If a person feels that they were victim of medical malpractice, they should work on building a case at some point in the future.
Before filing a claim, the injured patient might want to speak with the physician who initially treated them. When speaking with your physician, it’s important to carefully explain to them what exactly is wrong with you. In most cases, physicians are more than willing to remedy the situation if there is some type of problem.
If a physician fails to or refuses to address a patient’s injuries, it might be time to begin filing a claim. It’s important for injured patients to file a medical malpractice claim as soon as possible. Why? Patients only have a limited window of opportunity to file a claim before they no longer have the right to do so. Also, the longer you wait to file your claim, more difficult it might be to convince a judge that a physician is to blame for your injuries.
At this point, it would be a good idea to speak with a new physician and have them give you a full examination. The results can be used in your claim. Most patients can expect to have their initial claims denied. An insurance company might even recommend that you get examined by an independent doctor of their choice. If you’re lucky, a decent settlement can be reached out of court. However, many malpractice incidents often result in a victim and an attorney building a case.
Again, consider working with your initial physician before taking things to the next level. If necessary, you’ll want to file a claim before the statute of limitations has been reached. Lastly, you may need to work with an attorney in order to fight and reach a settlement. For most patients, a malpractice lawsuit is a long journey and they’ll likely face a number of setbacks before justice has been served.
