You expect doctors, nurses, and other medical staff to prioritize your well-being above all else. While this is typically true of most health care facilities, negligent practices can still pose a risk to patients. Here are a few steps you can take if a medical professional behaves carelessly and causes an injury.
Establish a Doctor-Patient Relationship
The first step in a negligence claim is establishing a doctor-patient relationship. That means you sought out advice, guidance, or treatment regarding a medical issue from a health care professional. You couldn’t sue a doctor for negligence if you had an informal relationship and they provided harmful advice. For instance, a medical professional casually providing inaccurate medical advice during a holiday party would not constitute negligence.
Exhibit Examples of Medical Negligence
It’s possible to be unhappy with a physician’s care without negligence being a factor. That’s why you must compare your provider’s actions to the type of care that a reasonable, competent doctor would provide. If it can be shown that your provider took steps that other medical staff would deem unsatisfactory, you may have a negligence claim on your hands.
Create a Link Between the Negligent Act and the Injury
Finally, you must establish that your medical provider’s negligent actions directly led to your injuries. This can be a complex undertaking since you may have already experienced illness or injury leading up to the event. In many cases, a medical expert will be sought to testify on your behalf to show exactly how the careless behavior worsened your existing medical condition or caused a new one to emerge.
Martinez, Hart, Sanchez & Romero, P.C. understand how troubling medical negligence can be for victims. Fortunately, our kind and compassionate attorneys have extensive experience with medical negligence, whether caused by doctors, pharmacists, or other health care staff.
Would you like to discuss your case with an Albuquerque injury attorney? If so, please call 505-343-1776 to schedule a consultation at our firm. You can also contact us for more information before getting started.