3 Scenarios that Call for the Assistance of Medical Malpractice Lawyers

If you or a loved one suffers harm as a patient, physicians who were involved in diagnosis and treatment may be sued for medical malpractice. It’s estimated that some form of malpractice happens between 25,000-120,000 times annually. Here are several common healthcare scenarios that would justify legal action.

Healthcare Fraud

There are some instances when healthcare fraud can be considered a form of medical malpractice. Medical professionals, for example, may be using procedures to fill their pockets, rather than to help the patient. Tests and scans may be administered that don’t have any relation to your condition.

Some physicians ask for extra tests because health insurance agencies provide better pay to physicians who offer extra services, with the intent of preventing surgical complications from occurring. This fee-for-service type of coverage has long been criticized because it’s inefficient and doesn’t focus on root problems that need to be addressed quickly.

Additionally, insurance-medical provider pay negotiations are often confidential, which signals a lot of red flags. Although having more services sounds great, it really just makes patient wait times longer. This is a concern when there’s something seriously wrong with your health.

 

Unnecessary Procedures

Sometimes, physicians perform procedures that hurt you, rather than help you in the long run. This is often the case with cardiac devices that are supposed to enhance heart health. Not only do these extra procedures end up costing you more, they take away the time the physician could spend treating your actual condition.

Unnecessary procedures may also involve prescribing medication. You may have been given something to treat asthma, but the side-effects end up making your breathing worse. This also puts a financial burden on your family, as your insurance provider may not completely cover the medications assigned by your physician.

Physical Injury

Perhaps the most identifiable case of medical malpractice is when a physician or nurse causes a direct injury to your body. Some of the types of physical negligence include surgical errors, medication errors, misdiagnosis, and negligence that occurred during pregnancy. Misdiagnosis is one of the most common types of physician errors, whether it’s misdiagnosing a heart attack, heart disease, or a blood clot in the lung. The more complex a condition is, the more likely it will be misdiagnosed.

If you’re dealing with any form of medical malpractice and don’t know where to turn, contact medical malpractice lawyers. They know exactly what needs to be proven to show that a doctor or physician’s negligence caused your injury so you can be compensated.

For more information contact one of our highly qualified Attorneys in the Oklahoma City area call (405) 253-4478 or our main office in Ardmore (580) 798-0447.

Sources:

Medical Malpractice By the Numbers, centerjd.org

10 Things You Want To Know About Medical Malpractice, forbes.com

How Does Your Doctor Get Paid? The Controversy Over Capitation, pbs.org