A doctor holding his hand over his face negatively

Medical malpractice is more common than most people would like to think. An average of 39,210 practitioners receive an adverse action for malpractice, and an average of 15,400 payments are handed out each year according to the National Practitioner Data Bank.

The important thing to understand about these statistics is that they only scratch the surface. They do not account for how many actual incidents of malpractice occur, only the ones where there is some action conducted.

To raise awareness about malpractice, let’s examine four signs that you may be a victim of medical malpractice.

1. Your Condition Was Improperly Diagnosed

One of the more common signs of medical malpractice revolves around your diagnosis. A doctor is responsible for providing you with an accurate diagnosis, as there are concrete figures that can be used to determine if you have a certain condition.

A patient may, for example, have a malignant tumor. This would produce markers that could be detected in the blood, anomalies in images and other signs that could be used to detect this problem.

2. Your Doctor Didn’t Receive Your Input

While doctors are supposed to be more knowledgeable about medicine, they cannot read your mind to determine what your symptoms are. This is why it’s vital for patients to both communicate with their doctors, and to be heard by them.

If your doctor refused to listen to you, or ignored important information that pertains to your health, then you may have been the victim of medical malpractice.

3. You Were Given the Wrong Medicine

There are numerous checks for determining if a medicine is correct for you. These can include everything from markers in your blood work to information about your symptoms.

When you’re given the wrong medicine, you run the risk of developing negative conditions without treating your problem. This can make things markedly worse, which in turn is why being given the wrong medicine tends to fall in the realm of medical malpractice.

4. Your Condition Worsened

If your medical condition worsened without getting better, there is a high chance that you were the victim of medical malpractice. Any number of factors could have contributed to this.

The best way to determine how responsible your doctor was for your condition worsening is to contact a personal injury attorney.

Medical Malpractice Isn’t Your Fault

By definition, medical malpractice occurs when your doctor is negligent with regards to some aspect of your healthcare. You are the one who will pay the price for this negligence, but that doesn’t mean that it’s your fault.

If you suspect you have been the victim of medical malpractice, then you should begin taking the necessary steps for righting the wrongs committed against you.