Can You Find Out if Your Doctor Has Been Sued for Medical Malpractice?

Whether you’re looking for a new doctor or have been with the same one for years, you want to be sure that you can fully trust their judgment and level of care. Researching your doctor online can help you learn more about their experience, professionalism, and bedside manner, but reviews aren’t always accurate, trustworthy, or complete.

One of the best ways to learn about your doctor’s reputation and track record is to find out if they’ve ever been sued for medical malpractice or had disciplinary actions taken against them by the state medical board. And thankfully, there are resources for finding out both.

Verify your doctor’s license.

Although it’s important to find out if your doctor has been sued for medical malpractice, the first thing you should do is ensure that they’re properly educated and licensed.

Docinfo.org is a website created by the Federation of State Medical Boards, and it allows you to easily look up your doctor and get information, including their education, certification/specialty, active licenses, and whether any actions have been filed against them. You can also search specifically for doctors in Ohio by using the eLicense Ohio website’s database.

Check for formal actions filed against your doctor.

The State Medical Board of Ohio’s website has a database of monthly formal actions dating back to 2013. You can use this database to cross-reference and verify any actions you see listed on other databases, including docinfo.org.

Perform a Google search of your doctor’s name along with various keywords.

Google and other internet search engines can quickly find information that otherwise may require digging deep into other databases. You can enter your doctor’s name in quotation marks followed by keywords such as “malpractice,” “lawsuit,” and “suspension” to quickly find out if he or she faced actions—especially if they were mentioned in any news articles.

Get a court record of the lawsuit if you find one.

If you find out that your doctor has been sued for medical malpractice, you can get a full copy of the lawsuit (unless it’s confidential) by calling the county clerk’s office in the area where your doctor practices and requesting a copy.

This is an important step, as not all medical malpractice lawsuits are successful or justified. In addition, certain mistakes and negligence-related errors are more egregious than others, and it’s important to know exactly what your doctor was accused of doing (or not doing) while treating a patient.

File a complaint against your doctor, if necessary.

If you suspect that you’re a victim of medical malpractice, it’s important to get medical treatment and contact an experienced Ohio medical malpractice lawyer. But you should also report the incident to the appropriate authority.

In Ohio, that’s the State Medical Board. You can file a complaint online or by calling the confidential complaint hotline at 1-833-333-7626. This can not only help you get compensation for your injuries but also help others who may have been hurt in the future by this doctor’s negligence.

Medical Malpractice Occurs More Often Than You Might Expect

Studies indicate that medical errors are the third-leading cause of death in the U.S, claiming more than 250,000 lives each year. In addition, a 2023 study found that physicians in Ohio have the highest rate of disciplinary action—11 times as often as physicians in the neighboring state of Indiana.

That’s why it’s important to do your due diligence and find out about your doctor’s history, track record, and reputation—even if you’ve been going to the same doctor for years. New complaints and actions can pop up at any time as well, so continue to check on your doctor’s credentials frequently to ensure that they haven’t been subject to any disciplinary measures in recent months.

We Hold Negligent Doctors and Healthcare Providers Accountable

Whether your doctor has faced disciplinary action in the past, or they made their first negligent mistake while treating you, we’ll work hard to build a claim that holds them accountable. Medical malpractice is a devastating thing to experience, as it can break your trust in the medical profession and leave you in even worse shape than before you were treated.

At Nurenberg, Paris, Heller & McCarthy, it’s our goal to help innocent victims of medical malpractice get full compensation. Contact us today for a free consultation.

Originally published August 30, 2021.

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