It’s common to experience side effects after receiving medical treatment. As a result, many individuals write off their aches, pains, and even a worsening medical condition to part of the healing process. But this can be a huge mistake. After all, medical malpractice is exceeding common.
If you don’t recognize the signs of medical negligence or doctor error, then you could miss out on an opportunity to advocate for the accountability and compensation you deserve. And if left unchecked, then the medical malpractice to which you’ve been subjected could lead to a worsened medical condition, a poorer prognosis, and otherwise avoidable pain and suffering.
But how do you know if you’ve been harmed by medical malpractice? It can be hard to tell, but let’s look at some common signs and symptoms of medical malpractice that you’ll want to get checked out if you experience them.
Signs that you may have been harmed by medical malpractice
There are several indicators that you’ve been harmed by medical malpractice. Let’s look at some of them here so that you know what to be on the lookout for:
- Worsening symptoms: When you receive medical care, you should start to feel better relatively quickly. But if your symptoms linger or worsen, then they may be indicative that something went wrong. You should seek follow up care from a new doctor to get a clear indication of what’s happened to you and whether you’ve been harmed by medical malpractice.
- Unexpected swelling or bleeding: Some swelling and bleeding could be normal after a surgical procedure. But if it continues for an extended period of time, or it seems severe in nature, then your body may be trying to tell you that something isn’t right. You should listen to your body and seek out a medical opinion as to the underlying cause.
- You don’t get expected results: There are pre-identified goals when you undergo a prescribed course of treatment. If those outcomes aren’t obtained and you’re instead left with extensive pain, discomfort, or infection, then there’s a chance that an error occurred that prevented you from obtaining the outcome you wanted, leaving you harmed in unexpected ways.
- Your doctor won’t answer questions: If you experience pain, swelling, bleeding, and other symptoms after receiving treatment, then you’ll probably have a number of questions for your doctor. If your doctor seems evasive in answering your questions, or they’re quick to chalk up your symptoms to something innocuous, then there’s a possibility that they’re trying to cover up medical malpractice.
- You received contradictory medical opinions: After being hurt by your course of treatment, you should seek a second opinion from another medical provider. By doing so, you can see if your original treating doctor’s opinion significantly differs. If it does, then that could be an indication that you were hurt by medical malpractice.
Build the competent medical malpractice claim you need
You deserve to be compensated for the harm that’s been caused to you. But the onus is on you to bring forth a powerful medical malpractice claim. If you haphazardly throw a case together, then you’re chances of success will be minimal. Instead, diligently gather the evidence needed to build your case. Secure expert opinions. Track your damages. By doing all of this, you might increase your chances of winning and securing the compensation that you deserve.
To learn more about how to address the specific facts of your case, please continue to read our blog, seek out additional medical malpractice resources, and surround yourself with those who can properly guide you through the process.