Were You the Victim of Medical Malpractice?

Patients place a lot of trust in their healthcare providers, and they deserve to receive a certain standard of care in return. After all, if a doctor makes a mistake, it could literally have life-threatening consequences.

Unfortunately, medical errors are far more common than most people realize. According to The Washington Post, such errors claim more than 250,000 lives annually, making them the third leading cause of death in our country.

Of course, medicine is not a perfect science, and some patients simply respond poorly to certain procedures. Thus, determining when you have actually been the victim of malpractice can be challenging.

There are countless ways for healthcare providers to make mistakes when treating patients, and no two malpractice cases are the same; however, there are certain warning signs that are often indicative of substandard care. If you recently underwent a procedure that did not go as planned and you think negligence on the part of your provider may have played a role, contact The Bowling Christiansen Law Firm.

David A. Bowling can assess your case to determine if you may be entitled to compensation. Call (504) 586-5200 to schedule a consultation with a medical malpractice lawyer in New Orleans.

Read on to learn about just a few potential signs of medical malpractice:

1. Ineffective Treatment

If your condition does not improve despite undergoing treatment, it could be a sign that the doctor misdiagnosed the disease or did not prescribe the standard and accepted course of care. Since misdiagnoses can and do happen, it is usually worth seeking a second opinion before undergoing an invasive procedure based on one provider’s opinion.

2. A Lengthy Screening Period

If you have undergone multiple screening procedures but none of them have yielded a diagnosis, your doctor may be ignoring some of your more obvious or relevant symptoms. Since early detection is critical when it comes to treating certain kinds diseases, a delayed diagnosis could prove detrimental to your health.

3. A Single Lab Test

Although you do not want to undergo dozens of lab tests that do not yield a definitive diagnosis, you should also be wary of receiving a diagnosis after a single screening. Samples can get contaminated, and providers can misinterpret the results or even switch them between patients.

4. A Failure to Follow Up

If a provider’s team fails to follow up with a patient following an invasive procedure, it could be indicative of negligent care in general. It could also be a sign that something happened during the procedure and the provider does not want to acknowledge any potential issues that may result.

If you think you have been the victim of malpractice, contact The Bowling Christiansen Law Firm for compassionate legal guidance. A New Orleans medical malpractice attorney will gather evidence to prove your case so you can focus on recovering.

Call (504) 586-5200 to schedule a case evaluation. If you want to learn more about malpractice claims in Louisiana, visit the USAttorneys website.