Negligence in the medical field can lead to life-threatening consequences. If you have experienced any form of medical malpractice, you should take action to protect your rights. The doctor or hospital that treated you had a duty to offer you standard care but failed. Thus, you may be eligible to file a medical malpractice claim.
When doing this, here are three mistakes to avoid.
Discussing your case
When you file a medical malpractice claim, you should avoid discussing the case with the people around you or on social media. Anything you say can be used against you. The hospital’s or physician’s insurance company may use your statements to avoid compensating or give you a lower payout. Thus, be careful about what you say about the case.
Taking too long to file a claim
Some medical malpractice cases take a long time to be noticed. For instance, with misdiagnosis, it may take months before realizing your doctor made a mistake, perhaps after seeking a second opinion. However, some can be noticed almost immediately, such as birth injuries, wrong-site surgery and doctor and hospital negligence.
When you realize you experienced medical malpractice, you should file a claim. In addition to strengthening your case, you have a statute of limitations to observe. In Illinois, you have two years to file a medical malpractice claim from the day you knew about the negligence. You may not be able to file a claim after this period.
Lacking adequate evidence
You need evidence to prove your claim. Thus, it will help to gather relevant evidence when you discover negligence, including pictures, medical records, prescriptions, receipts and other documents related to your treatment.
Filing a medical malpractice claim requires knowledge and preparation. You should get adequate information to avoid costly mistakes.