When you go to the doctor or have surgery, you expect to get better, not worse. However, sometimes things don’t go as planned. It’s important to understand the difference between a doctor making a mistake and simply having an unlucky result.
Medical malpractice explained
Medical malpractice occurs when a healthcare professional does not provide the standard of care expected in their field. For example, if a surgeon operates on the wrong part of your body or leaves surgical instruments inside you after surgery, that’s medical malpractice.
What’s a bad outcome?
A bad outcome, on the other hand, happens when your health issue doesn’t improve or even gets worse. For example, you may get an infection after surgery, but if no mistakes happened during your treatment, it is not medical malpractice. Sometimes, despite everyone doing everything right, the results are not what you hoped for. All medical treatments have risks, and sometimes those risks are unavoidable.
Telling the difference
To figure out if what happened was medical malpractice or just a bad outcome, you should look at whether your healthcare provider followed the accepted medical practices. If they did, it’s likely just a bad outcome. If they didn’t, you might have a case for medical malpractice.
What you can do
If you believe you’ve experienced medical malpractice, you may wish to talk to a lawyer who specializes in this area. They can help you understand your situation better and guide you on what steps to take next. Remember, having a bad medical result doesn’t always mean someone made a mistake. Understanding the difference can help you decide how to move forward.
