When a patient is admitted to one of Florida’s many hospitals, most of the time, patients go from injured or ill to fixed up and cured. They receive expert and proper medical treatment without incident or error. However, sometimes things go awry, and patients are left with a sneaking suspicion that something isn’t quite right. But how does a patient know if hospital negligence has occurred?
If you or a loved one has this feeling, contact a hospital negligence lawyer at Freidin Brown. During a free consultation, one of their medical malpractice legal experts will determine what your next move should be.
What Is Hospital Negligence?
Receiving a substandard level of care during a hospital visit is considered hospital negligence, although the term medical malpractice better knows it. When a healthcare professional doesn’t provide the standard level of care and their negligence harms you, you can file a medical malpractice lawsuit. Hospital negligence can take on many forms. Here are a few common examples:
- Misdiagnosis – This occurs when your doctor diagnoses your condition incorrectly. An example is diagnosing a heart attack as simple indigestion.
- Delayed diagnosis – If your physician fails to diagnose your condition correctly and you’ve received harmful treatment for the wrong condition, medical malpractice has occurred.
- Failure to provide informed consent – All Florida physicians are legally required to obtain the patient’s consent for treatment. They need to explain the pros and cons along with any alternative treatments.
- Surgical mistakes – Errors in the operating room can include surgery on the wrong body part or leaving medical devices inside the patient.
- Medication errors – Being prescribed the wrong medication or incorrect dosage, if it causes the patient harm, falls under the umbrella of medical malpractice.
It should be noted that not all medical mistakes constitute hospital negligence. Medical malpractice arises when a doctor/nurse/other healthcare professional strays from the standard of care, negatively affecting the patient.
5 Key Indicators of Hospital Negligence
Some patients simply have a nagging feeling that something isn’t right and that they may have been the victim of hospital negligence. While trusting your gut is surely a sign of a problem, it doesn’t prove anything. However, there are some common indicators that hospital negligence did occur. Here are the top 5 key indicators:
- Not getting the expected results – Not improving as quickly as you like doesn’t constitute hospital negligence, but if the expected results explained to you by your doctor don’t happen, it could be a case of medical malpractice.
- No improvement or worsening of the condition – If your condition worsens or there’s no improvement, this could point to a misdiagnosis of your condition.
- Severely understaffed hospital – Understaffed Healthcare facilities often overlook things or cut corners if your condition worsens. While in a hospital where its staff appears to be working with far too many patients, you may not have received the expected standard of care.
- Your doctor is dismissive of your concerns – Although a patient isn’t a medical expert if their doctor is dismissive and doesn’t listen to their concerns, they may be trying to hide a mistake they’ve made.
- Contradicting opinions from another doctor – If your gut instinct was so strong that you sought out a second opinion and that opinion contradicts one of your doctors, this is a strong indication that a medical mistake did occur.
What To Do if You Suspect Hospital Negligence
Those who suspect a medical mishap has harmed them can file a lawsuit and seek compensation for their damages. If they win their case and receive a settlement, they’ll be compensated for economic and non-economic damages like pain, suffering, and mental anguish. Another benefit to filing a medical malpractice lawsuit is to ensure that the healthcare professional at fault is held accountable so they can’t harm anyone else.
Medical malpractice cases can be challenging, but that’s no reason not to pursue one. Many victims of hospital negligence make some errors, so it’s key to know what to do and, equally important, what not to do.
Get a Second Opinion
Florida’s Medical Malpractice Law states that you must prove that your doctor was negligent. You’ll do this by having a similarly trained doctor provide an Affidavit of Merit, which states that your original doctor did not provide the standard of care and that you were harmed due to their negligence.
Hire a Medical Malpractice Attorney
Never attempt to file a medical malpractice lawsuit without the help of an experienced legal team. There are far too many hoops to jump through, and negotiating with a doctor’s legal team and insurance company should only be attempted with a seasoned legal professional.
Do Not Discuss Your Plans With Your Current Doctor
Do not speak with your original doctor about your lawsuit plans. This could potentially give the doctor or healthcare facility time to doctor documents or deliberately destroy evidence that points to their negligence. Let your personal injury attorney contact them for you.
Hospital Negligence in Florida: Final Words
Those who suspect they didn’t receive the care owed to them in a Florida hospital have a legal right to seek justice. Misdiagnoses and other medical mistakes do happen. Don’t attempt to fight a powerful hospital with an entire legal team alone. Hire an experienced medical malpractice law firm that will ensure that you receive the compensation for your suffering that you deserve.
