When you entrust yourself to a medical professional, you expect fair and diligent treatment. The last thing you want is to suffer additional harm due to an unreasonable delay in treatment.
Some delays in treatment result from a doctor’s uncertainty on how to proceed, rather than blatant negligence. However, there are signs you can look for as possible evidence that a delay is grounds for a medical malpractice claim. A solid med mal case will likely require proof of all the following points.
Breach of duty
If it is evident that your doctor acts against standard operating procedures, then there may be justification in claiming a breach of duty has occurred. Individuals who keep records of interactions with medical professionals will be in an advantageous position in the event that a doctor is negligent toward a patient’s best interests.
Suffering of harm
Proving that a doctor-patient relationship exists is essential for a medical malpractice case, but the suffering of harm during the course of that relationship is just as crucial. Without supporting evidence, a court may deem that your injury is a preexisting condition.
Treatment delay causes harm
A delay during the course of treatment could result from a lengthy process of discerning your condition from one that is symptomatically similar. If you believe that a delay has caused undue harm, increased suffering or any other common medical malpractice issues, then you might bear entitlement to pursue a claim.
Finding yourself in a doctor-patient relationship that exhibits signs of a negligent delay in treatment is extremely dismaying. You can reach out to a medical malpractice attorney to discuss options for pursuing a medical malpractice claim for damages rendered.
