When Do You Need a Medical Malpractice Attorney?

by Eric Czelusta
Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer

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One of the most difficult things for patients to determine is whether he or she has been a victim of medical malpractice.  Most malpractice victims are not sufficiently medically educated to know if someone made an unreasonable medical mistake. Even more complicating is the fact that patients must trust and rely upon healthcare providers to give good medical care or identify when poor medical care was given.  This reliance is further complicated by the fact that healthcare providers tend to protect each other when a medical mistake is made.

So how do you know to call the Patient’s Law Firm to obtain the advice of a skilled and experienced medical malpractice lawyer?  Here are a few observations that may lead you in that direction:

o          You had an unanticipated bad result from medical care:  For example, you may have started with a relatively minor procedure and postoperatively you are hospitalized for an extended time due to a surgical complication, suffer a brain injury, or your loved one unexpectedly dies.  If simple or elective medical care leads to tragic or life changing injuries, you may have been a victim of medical malpractice.

o          No reasonable explanation for a bad result:  A physician is unable to explain why a bad result happens or refuses to do so.  Anytime you received professional services and you rely upon that professional’s expertise, you are entitled to a full explanation of what he or she is doing or has done to your body.  If he or she cannot or will not provide you with an explanation, or if the explanation does not make sense to you, then it may be a good time to contact a lawyer who is experienced in handling medical malpractice cases to investigate it for you.

o          Doctors and nurses make comments, criticisms, or seem angry or upset about the care you received from another healthcare provider:  While it is very difficult (but not unheard of) to find a doctor or other healthcare provider willing to testify under oath in a manner that incriminates a colleague that he or she may interact with or commonly see in the same medical circles, their statements, actions or appearance of anger could give you reason to seek further advice from our lawyers.

o          You are contacted by a hospital or other medical organization’s risk management department or investigators for details about your medical care:  This may suggest that the medical care you received is being investigated as an adverse medical incident that under law must be reported to the applicable medical and healthcare boards.  This should suggest to you that perhaps you should also investigate as well by contacting our lawyers.

• You are diagnosed with an advanced staged condition:  This situation is commonly seen in cancer victims who have been diagnosed with advanced stage or metastatic cancer.  It may happen in other contexts as well such as raging infections, internal bleeding, or unexpected deaths.  If you regularly see your doctor or went to the hospital previously for the symptoms that are ultimately related to the condition that was later diagnosed after it had progressed, there is a chance someone missed a diagnosis that should have been made.  This may suggest negligent medical care and a need to contact our lawyers.

• A mistake was admitted:  While this is uncommon, sometimes healthcare providers do admit to patients when they made a mistake.  While it is admirable and honorable when a professional admits his or her mistake, the injuries that can result from such a mistake can be life altering, long lasting, and in some cases deadly.  A simple apology cannot reverse the impact of this type of mistake. The medical error may cost a patient his or her their ability to earn a living, leave the victim with a massive medical bill, or leave a family with only memories of their lost loved one. If a mistake is admitted to, it may be a good idea to contact our lawyers to help you seek the recovery of your financial and other losses from the health care provider’s malpractice insurance company.

• Something just does not seem right:  This is probably the most important sign of medical malpractice and it is really all that you need to seek the advice of a medical malpractice lawyer.  If you have any suspicion that medical malpractice has occurred, trust your intuition and contact the Patient’s Law Firm.

If you have any questions about whether you should seek legal help to investigate your medical malpractice case, please contact the Patient’s Law Firm at 727-281-4357 where your situation will be evaluated, investigated and litigated by lawyers who have over 25 years of combined experience in litigating cases like yours.  We focus 100% of our practice on representing patients who have been injured by the negligence of Hospitals, Nursing Homes, Physicians and other healthcare providers, and we are prepared and able to help you in your time of need.

We are located in Palm Harbor and represent patients throughout Tampa Bay including Pinellas County, Pasco County and Hillsborough County and throughout the state of Florida.