Patients who have been injured, harmed, or in any way wronged due to substandard medical treatment will generally seek out a medical malpractice case to fight for the compensation they need. These cases are so common that navigating them can be fairly simple. However, there are some steps that need to be completed to ensure a stronger, more organized case. Below are the steps you should take when preparing for your medical malpractice case.
Contact the Doctor or Medical Professional
The first step in a medical malpractice case is to contact the medical professional involved before you file. Doing so will give you and the professional a look at exactly what went wrong and an opportunity to clear up any misunderstandings. This way, you can also gather any paperwork regarding the procedure performed and a detailed account of what went wrong.
In some cases, the doctor may want to perform corrective action to avoid a lawsuit.
Reach Out to the Medical Licensing Board
If contacting the doctor or medical professional does not yield any results, the next step is to find their relevant medical licensing board. In many cases, the board cannot control whether or not the doctor can give you compensation. They can, however, help issue a stern warning or even carry out some form of disciplinary action against them as well as provide you with information on what to do next.
Seek an Affidavit of Merit
An affidavit of merit, also known as a certificate of merit, is a document made out by a follow-up physician or medical professional. This document takes into account your medical record and assesses the treatment you received as well as your medical records. This certificate helps establish whether or not your case has merit and could be a vital document in your case.
Contact a Medical Malpractice Attorney
The final step in preparing for a case is to contact an experienced medical malpractice attorney who can evaluate your case. Many medical malpractice cases are settled out of court but this is not the case for all medical malpractice suits.
If you or a loved one has suffered an injury due to a medical professional’s substandard care or negligence, contact an attorney who could help. Contact the law offices of Andres and Berger today for your case evaluation.
The articles on this blog are for informative purposes only and are no substitute for legal advice or an attorney/client relationship. If you are seeking legal advice, please contact our law firm directly.
