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When you’re feeling sick and go to the doctor to find out what’s wrong with you, or you’re admitted to the hospital for surgery or another treatment, you may be a little nervous about the outcome. That’s a common experience, especially if you don’t normally spend much time in doctors’ offices or hospitals. But even though you might be nervous, you never expect your doctor or surgeon to make a careless mistake that harms you.
Unfortunately, medical malpractice is more common than you think. It’s estimated that around 200,000 people die as a result of medical malpractice every year. Countless more patients are seriously injured or sickened by medical mistakes annually. The true number of medical malpractice cases in Ohio and the U.S. is difficult to determine, as most people who are harmed by healthcare professionals never file complaints or lawsuits.
Even the most well-regarded and highly trained physicians and healthcare practitioners are capable of making mistakes. And a bad outcome—even one that’s the result of a mistake—isn’t always considered medical malpractice. But when negligence is a factor, medical malpractice may have occurred.
There are many reasons medical malpractice happens, including doctors:
As a patient, you are your own best advocate. Although it’s important to trust your doctor, it’s also important to trust your gut. If something doesn’t seem right about your diagnosis, treatment plan, or even the way your doctor interacts with you, don’t hesitate to seek a second opinion.
But unfortunately, there’s no way to completely prevent medical malpractice from occurring. This is why it’s important for patients and their families to have access to the legal system and the ability to hold negligent providers and facilities accountable when their mistakes cause serious illnesses, injuries, and complications.
The consequences of medical malpractice can range from minor illnesses to fatal surgical mistakes. And the costs of negligence, whether it was a single act or an ongoing issue, can be enormous for victims and their families. At Nurenberg, Paris, Heller & McCarthy, we believe that victims and their loved ones shouldn’t have to pay for mistakes that weren’t their fault.
If you or someone you love was harmed by a doctor, surgeon, or other healthcare professional you should have been able to trust, our Ohio medical malpractice lawyers want to help. Contact us today for a free consultation. We’ll prove negligence caused your injury or illness, we’ll calculate how much money you’re owed, and we’ll fight to get you paid.
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