If your doctor or another medical professional has failed to provide you with proper care, you may be a victim of medical malpractice. While it can be difficult to know for sure if you’ve been a victim of malpractice, there are some signs that may indicate that you have.
There are four elements that must be present in order for malpractice to have occurred:
- Duty: There must be a doctor-patient relationship, which means that the health care provider had a duty to provide care and treatment to the patient.
- Breach: The health care provider must have breached that duty by failing to meet the standard of care.
- Causation: The breach of duty must have caused harm to the patient.
- Damages: The patient must have incurred damages as a result of the injury.
If you’ve suffered an injury or illness due to a medical professional’s negligence, this is the first sign that you may be a victim of malpractice. If you believe that your injury or illness was caused by a medical professional’s negligence, you should seek legal counsel as soon as possible.
Additionally, if you’ve been treated differently than other patients who were seen by the same medical professional, this could also be an indication of malpractice. If you believe that you were treated differently than other patients due to your race, gender, or other protected characteristic, you should speak to an attorney about your case.
Lastly, if you’ve tried to file a complaint with the medical board or another regulatory agency and have been met with resistance, this could also be a sign that you’re a victim of malpractice. If you’ve attempted to file a complaint and have been unsuccessful, it’s important to speak to an Ohio medical malpractice lawyer who can help you navigate the next steps.
Who Is Responsible for Injuries During Childbirth?
The vast majority of the time, when something goes wrong during childbirth and a baby is injured, it is not the result of medical negligence. Childbirth is a natural process, after all, and even with the best medical care in the world things can and do go wrong. That said, there are times when medical negligence does play a role in injuries during childbirth. If your child was injured during childbirth and you believe that medical negligence may have been a factor, you should speak to an experienced birth injury lawyer as soon as possible to discuss your legal options.
Some of the most common ways that medical negligence can lead to injuries during childbirth include:
- Failing to monitor the mother and baby closely during labor and delivery
- Failing to identify and treat complications during labor and delivery
- Failing to properly manage the mother’s pain during labor and delivery
- Making unnecessary or inappropriate interventions during labor and delivery
- Using excessive force during delivery
If your child was injured during childbirth and you believe that medical negligence may have been a factor, you should speak to an experienced birth injury lawyer as soon as possible. An experienced lawyer can review your case and help you determine if you have a claim. If you do have a claim, experienced medical malpractice lawyers Akron Ohio can help you fight for the compensation you deserve.