You want to choose doctors who are of the highest caliber, well-trained, experienced, and, of course, have a clean medical history. There are some doctors, however, who continue to practice even in the wake of medical malpractice claims or disciplinary action. But you won’t necessarily know about their spotty past, and that could result in negligent actions that injure you or someone you love.
Best Methods for Selecting the Right Doctor
It’s important to keep perspective when selecting a doctor, and when researching their history of malpractice suits and disciplinary actions. There are medical malpractice cases where a doctor is wrongly accused of causing an injury. There are also cases where a doctor is sued but it was determined that they did nothing wrong and the injury suffered would have occurred with or without their care.
Nevertheless, don’t allow the absence of lawsuits against a doctor lull you into a false sense of confidence. There could be other indiscretions that could impact your health. All you can do is your due diligence to find out if a doctor’s credentials, experience, and abilities meet your needs.
Complete information about your doctor’s career history is not always easy to find. Here are some of the best resources:
- State medical licensing board: You can gather this information for Michigan, but your doctor may have practiced in other states and you’ll need to know where to collect his or her complete history from those states as well. Discipline from another state may not show up on the new state’s licensing. Through this effort, you can find out when a license was issued, it’s status and if it has been suspended, the type of medicine a doctor practices, and any disciplinary actions.
- Doctor rating websites: Online reviews are an informative resource when hunting for a new doctor. While some people may have complaints, remember that everyone’s view is subjective. It’s concrete evidence about a doctor’s skills and care that you’re seeking, not a criticism from someone who didn’t like a doctor’s front-office staff.
- Google: Sometimes, the best information you can gather is waiting in cyberspace. If information wasn’t reported about a doctor or hospital, it may be one Google search away, as long as you include the doctor’s name and keywords like “malpractice” or “lawsuit” or “problem.” Plus, you can learn a lot from about a doctor from their social media and, whether they have had any lawsuits or actions against them or not, their lifestyle and behavior may be enough to give you pause.
The difficulty with some public information is that the information is not always current and, most importantly, it is not always complete. For hospitals that are in the business of healthcare with the bottom line as their priority, a problem doctor may be quietly dismissed or his or her behavior not properly reported, leaving others to deal with the unqualified doctor and potentially harming more patients in the process.
Common Reasons Doctors Are Sued for Medical Malpractice
To be considered medical malpractice, a doctor must breach the standard of care and cause an injury that can be proven as a direct result of their action or inaction. Some of the most common reasons for medical malpractice lawsuits include:
- Misdiagnosis
- Failure to diagnose
- Delayed diagnosis
- Surgical errors
- Treatment errors
- Medication errors
- Testing errors
- Poor patient monitoring
If you have suffered at the hands of an unqualified doctor, their negligence can be a viable medical malpractice case. Contact Thurswell Law for a free consultation with an experienced medical malpractice lawyer. You have the right to compensation for your pain and suffering. We do not charge any fees unless you collect. Call (248) 354-2222 today to schedule your consultation.
