The standard of care of a patient includes specific medical standards that are an acceptable way to treat a patient.
The short answer to this question is, yes, you can sue a doctor for negligence. This type of personal injury case is called medical malpractice and is when a doctor, hospital, or other healthcare professional causes injury to a patient due to negligence. Negligence means that the patient did not receive the proper care.
If you or a loved one has been the victim of medical malpractice in Pittsburgh, it is wise to contact Pittsburgh medical malpractice lawyers to help you with your case.
But, even though you can sue a doctor for negligence, there are a few characteristics that the case must have to be considered negligence.
- Violating the Standard of Care
The standard of care of a patient includes specific medical standards that are an acceptable way to treat a patient. These standards must be followed by doctors, hospitals, and healthcare professionals. For example, if someone has lung cancer, doctors and healthcare professionals are expected to go about their treatment in the way that every patient with this diagnosis would expect.
- An Injury
For healthcare professionals to violate the standard of care is not the only requirement for negligence. The patient must have also sustained injuries due to the negligence of the doctor. The patient must also prove that if the healthcare provider wasn’t negligent, they would not have sustained injuries. If an injury was caused without negligence or there was no injury, you do not have a case.
- Losses Due to Injury
The final thing that the patient must prove is that they suffered significant losses because of the injury. Some of the losses can include pain and suffering, medical expenses, disability, and loss of income.
Remember, without these elements, you may not have a case. But, it is always wise to call a professional lawyer to discuss if you have a case. A personal injury lawyer can tell you everything you need to know.
It is also important to note that personal injury cases can be draining and expensive. You might find out that going through the case is more costly than the damages caused by the negligence. Some people will sue the doctor just to fight for justice. Neither choice is wrong, and it just depends on your situation and what legal actions can be taken against the doctor, healthcare professionals, or hospital. Your options are something you can discuss with an experienced lawyer. Just know that you deserve justice for what you have been through, and there are no wrong choices in your decision.
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