Nobody wants to find themselves in position to file a medical malpractice lawsuit, as this means something has gone wrong with the care they have received. However, if you are put in this situation, it is time to learn more about your rights. This starts with knowing who to hold responsible.
There are many parties who can be held responsible for medical malpractice, including but not limited to:
— Hospitals. For example, any member of hospital staff, from a nurse to a doctor, could make a mistake that causes additional injury or illness.
— Pharmaceutical companies. Is the medication reasonably safe for a person to take? If not, and it causes harm, the pharmaceutical company could be held responsible.
— Doctor’s office. If you receive treatment in a doctor’s office, you expect the entire medical team to do their job by providing the appropriate level of care. Unfortunately, this does not always happen. For instance, you could be the victim of a misdiagnosis. This could lead to treatment for a problem you don’t have while overlooking something that is more serious.
Once you know who is responsible for medical malpractice, you can then determine which steps to take next. Of course, at this time, you must also focus on getting your health back in order. This is more important than anything else.
If something goes wrong with your medical care, you should be able to pinpoint who is responsible. Only then can you make key decisions regarding the future. As with anything, knowledge is power when it comes to medical malpractice.
Source: FindLaw, “Medical Malpractice: Who Can Be Sued?” accessed Jan. 05, 2016