Three Signs That You May Have Been a Victim of Medical Malpractice

When you are ill or injured, you are placing your trust in your health care provider to take care of you. Unfortunately, the standard of care is not up to par and patients get hurt when bad decisions are made by physicians regarding patient's care or medical conditions are misdiagnosed. Sadly, this can result in the health of the patient deteriorating or even the patient's death. In these cases, the patient may have a case of medical negligence or malpractice. Keep reading to learn a few signs that you may have been a victim of medical malpractice.

Your Medical Condition Is Not Changing or Getting Worse

Regardless of whether you are receiving medical treatment at an office or in the hospital, you should see some level of improvement if you receive a proper diagnosis and treatment, unless you receive a diagnosis of a deteriorating or fatal condition. If your condition does not improve or gets worse, then there is a chance that you are not receiving accurate or proper care. This is particularly true if you are following the orders from your doctor. There is a chance that the physician could have made an error along the way. In the event that this error caused you significant pain or injury, you may want to consider reaching out to a lawyer.

Your Physician Is Refusing to Answer Your Questions

Ultimately, medical care needs to be interactive. You will tell your physician the symptoms that you have noticed, and they will then ask you questions that will assist them with their diagnosis before developing a course of treatment. If you decide to ask questions regarding the diagnosis or why a particular treatment is not working or possibly making you feel worse instead of better and your physical either refuses to answer or simply dismisses the questions, this should raise a red flag immediately. If this is combined with significant pain and/or discomfort and no improvement or worsening of your condition, you may want to seriously consider scheduling an appointment with a local malpractice lawyer.

Your Physician Refuses to Perform Tests

As a patient, it is imperative that you are proactive in your own health care. If you know that you are at risk for a certain condition due to hereditary factors, request diagnostic testing. If you are ill and know from experience or research that certain tests are the norm, request them. If your physician refuses them, this is a red flag. If you end up developing that suspected illness and your prognosis ends up being worse or you sustain an injury due to the delayed diagnosis, you could have a medical negligence claim to pursue.

For more information, reach out to a medical malpractice law firm in your area.