Last Updated on April 24, 2024
Disclaimer: The contents of this article should not be taken as legal advice and should only be used as a resource to provide information about medical malpractice which can lead to amputation. You should always seek the services of a lawyer specializing in medical malpractice cases to give you a more in-depth view of this matter.
The main reason why you seek professional help from medical practitioners and hospitals is that you would want your illnesses and injuries properly taken cared of. You don’t want to feel sick anymore because you also have responsibilities. But when anyone from the healthcare industry does makes a mistake by performing medical malpractice which leads to diabetes amputation, do you know what you to do? Do you know how to sue the responsible parties?
Your health and life are put on the line, so setting this issue aside and not do anything when something like this happens is not wise. On the contrary, you should act on this situation immediately.
First Off, What Is Medical Malpractice?
Medical malpractice happens when a medical practitioner or a hospital causes an injury to the patient through omission or a negligent act. Everyone in the healthcare industry is expected to give care to their patients so if they fail to meet this and actually caused more harm than good, they’re at risk for medical malpractice lawsuits. Diabetes becomes a medical malpractice issue when a serious preventable injury has occurred to a diabetic because of a doctor not following accepted standards of diabetic care.
Before you can file a medical malpractice lawsuit, you have to determine first if the situation you’re in right now falls in either (or all) of the following categories:
- There was a violation of the standard of care: In the eyes of the law, medical practitioners should always give excellent medical treatment to their patients. A patient has the right to expect that he/she will be given the utmost care whenever he/she visits the hospital. If you, as the patient can determine that the standard of care was not met, there might be negligence from the medical practitioners.
- There was an injury caused by negligence: You’ll not have strong evidence in court if you can’t prove that you have incurred injuries because of the medical malpractice. Pictures of several bruises after your doctor has done several treatments on you, for example, can be helpful in this phase.
- The injury resulted in significant damages: Since you’re injured from medical malpractice, chances are you’d be required to seek additional help to ease the pain that you’re feeling which will cost you money. You might be unable to work because of these injuries too. All of these can also be used as evidence that indeed, the medical malpractice caused significant damages to you physically, financially and psychologically.
What Are The Medical Reasons For Amputations?
Amputations are medically necessary when a limb has been restrained for a long period of time or if this limb has been infected by a disease which will spread to other parts of the body if not removed. However, there have been cases wherein an individual has had amputations due to medical malpractice. Some causes of negligent amputations include:
• The wrong body part or limb was removed from your body: There are some instances where a surgeon misread the chart and takes off the wrong body part by mistake. This kind of situation is common especially with patients who have been involved in fatal car accidents.
• The formation of clots was not prevented during the surgery: Thrombosis is the formation of blood clots inside the blood vessel, which prevents the flow of blood through the circulatory system. This condition can lead to amputation if not treated immediately.
• The infections were not treated and diagnosed: There are certain infections which can worsen by the minute and can lead to significant tissue damage that cannot be reversed. If this happens, amputating a limb might be necessary.
What Should You Do When You’re A Victim Of Medical Malpractice That Led To Amputation?
Nobody wants to be involved in a lawsuit because the entire process is not only tedious, but comes with a price as well. But as the saying goes, “you can’t cry over spilled milk.” If you’re a victim of medical malpractice that led to amputation, you should know what to do to exercise your right and for another party to be held responsible for the damages.
To give you a clearer picture of what you can do in this situation, the tips listed below can be helpful:
• You should document everything: Being involved in a medical malpractice lawsuit is a stressful and scary time, especially if you’re doing it for the first time. You might feel overwhelmed because of all that’s happening around you and might forget essential information. That’s why you should make sure that everything is documented. You should keep documents of the dates of when you seek professional help and the doctors that accommodated you.
• You should ask questions: Yes, doctors and nurses can be intimidating at times, but don’t be scared to ask questions whenever things aren’t going as planned. This issue deals with your health, so you have all the right to ask questions. Initiate conversations with medical practitioners handling your case and be persistent in doing it.
• You should work with an attorney who specializes in medical malpractice cases: No matter how many resources you read, nothing beats the professional help you can get from attorneys specializing in medical malpractice cases. These people have years of experience in the situation you’re dealing with right now. Once you decide to work with them, you can be assured they will help you win the lawsuit.
Key Takeaway Points
If you’re placed in a situation wherein you were amputated due to medical malpractice, you have all the right to sue the medical practitioner and hospital involved. But if you would want to win the lawsuit against them, you have to make sure that you’re actually doing things right. You should keep in mind that as a plaintiff, there are things which you should do and documents to prepare. Do all of these things in advance, keep this article as a guide and for sure you’re a step closer to winning the lawsuit for medical malpractice.
About the Author Adeline Robinson is one of most promising young law writers. She writes pieces on law topics for common readers. She is an avid sports fan and loves watching games if she has free time.
