Medical mistakes happen and they don’t always result in lawsuits. If something bad happens during surgery, that doesn’t necessarily mean the surgeon committed medical malpractice. So what happens if there’s a surgical mistake? How do you know if the surgical error is really medical malpractice? Read on to learn the various steps you should take if a surgeon makes a mistake during surgery.
Contact a Lawyer
Sometimes physicians are negligent. They make medical mistakes in the practice of medicine. That doesn’t always mean you can have a successful medical malpractice case against them. To establish a medical malpractice case, it is typically necessary to prove that the surgeon’s actions or omissions fell below the accepted standard of care and that this breach led to your injuries. You need to contact a hospital malpractice lawyer to review the records and all other evidence to determine whether there was malpractice involved.
Collect and Preserve Medical Records and Other Evidence
It’s important that you maintain a detailed record of all medical reports, diagnoses, treatments, and conversations with healthcare professionals regarding your surgery. Surgical notes, medical records, intake forms, lab slips, and lab results are all examples of crucial pieces of evidence, as are before-and-after photos, journals, and even voicemail messages! This is another reason the first step (“contact a lawyer”) is so essential: your medical malpractice lawyer can, as mentioned above, tell you what evidence is necessary and will review and digest all of the necessary information because it is essential to the evaluation of your claim.
Contact Another Surgeon for a Second Opinion
Who better to evaluate whether your surgery was botched than another surgeon? Seeking a second opinion is a great way to determine if the surgeon’s errors rose to the level of medical malpractice. Let’s say you underwent gastrointestinal surgery in a Philadelphia hospital and you believe the surgeon made a mistake. Your hospital malpractice lawyer in Philadelphia can help you find a good gastrointestinal surgeon to evaluate you, your health history, and your medical records. That surgeon will also help advise you on how to heal and recover.
If you believe a surgical medical mistake has occurred, contact the experienced surgical malpractice attorneys at VSCP Law.
