If you think you have been a victim of medical malpractice, there are some crucial, time-sensitive steps you need to take.
1. PRESERVE EVIDENCE
Often, victims of medical malpractice inadvertently lose or destroy key pieces of evidence. It is imperative that you preserve all necessary records and items pertaining to your medical malpractice case. If you are unsure whether a document is essential to your case, err on the side of holding onto it. Keep everything you can because you don’t know yet what item will become crucial to the success of your case.
Examples of evidence include medical records, intake forms, toxicology reports, labwork, prescription slips, photographs and videos, work records, financial statements, and physical objects that are related to the medical malpractice (eg, prescription bottles, medical devices, etc.). Even media such as emails, text messages, and social media posts should be preserved in case they can help your case.
Again, the absence of these items could reduce the value and success of your medical malpractice case in Pennsylvania.
2.KEEP UP WITH FOLLOW-UP MEDICAL CARE
An error victims of medical malpractice often make is skimping on their follow-up care. Whether it’s out of a distrust of doctors, inconvenience, or physical discomfort, some people just discontinue seeking medical treatment after their medical injury. This is a huge mistake. You may seek a second opinion, you may change doctors, but you may not ignore medical advice to get better and heal. Further, make sure to document and keep track of all out-of-pocket medical expenses.
3. TALK TO A LAWYER
In addition to the above important steps, a step you should take early on in the process is to consult with a Philadelphia medical malpractice lawyer. This lawyer will be able to make sure you abide by all the necessary regulations, including the time-sensitive statute of limitations. If you do not file your lawsuit within two years of your injury, you may be barred from doing so. Thus, you must consult with a medical malpractice attorney in Philadelphia as soon as you can.
When you meet with this lawyer, you must provide as much information as you can about the circumstances before, during, and after your medical injury. That will enable your lawyer to evaluate the viability of the claim – that is, whether the claim is likely to be successful in court.
You should find medical malpractice lawyers who will take your case on a contingency basis. That means that the attorney gets paid contingent on the case being successful (either winning a plaintiff’s verdict at trial or receiving a payment through a settlement agreement). In a contingent-based case, you don’t pay any money to the attorney to try your medical malpractice lawsuit. When the case resolves in a successful verdict or settlement, the attorney is paid a percentage of the verdict or settlement amount.
If you believe you are a victim of medical malpractice, contact the medical malpractice attorneys at VSCP Law – www.vscplaw.com
