We trust medical professionals to provide the highest standard of care. When that trust is betrayed and a patient is harmed, a medical malpractice attorney in Columbus, Ohio, can offer legal guidance. Pursuing a claim may be a sensible course of action, but several key principles apply to these types of cases.
If you were injured because a health care provider was negligent or made a mistake in your care, you may be wondering if you have a malpractice case. This guide should help answer that question.
Did a Doctor-Patient Relationship Exist?
You must be able to demonstrate that you had a doctor-patient relationship with the health care provider, meaning that they agreed to give you a diagnosis or medical treatment. This is usually easy to prove and rarely disputed in court, but Columbus medical malpractice attorneys say that issues can arise in certain types of cases.
Was the Medical Provider Negligent?
Being unhappy with the treatment you received or dissatisfied with the results isn’t grounds for a medical malpractice claim. To sue a health care provider for malpractice, attorneys say that you need to prove that they were negligent – or, in other words, that they didn’t act in a way that a competent professional would have under similar circumstances.
Did the Negligence Cause Your Injury?
Your health care provider may have been negligent, but proving that they didn’t treat you with reasonably skillful care isn’t enough. For a successful malpractice case, you must also be able prove that your injury was a direct consequence of their negligence. According to Columbus malpractice attorneys, establishing causation can be quite challenging and often requires expert testimony.
Has the Injury Led to Specific Damages?
Even if you can prove every element above, you don’t have a malpractice case unless you suffered damages. In Ohio, victims may be entitled to pursue monetary compensation for medical bills, loss of income, pain and suffering, mental anguish and other types of losses. To explore all possible avenues of compensation, you may need help from an experienced Columbus medical malpractice attorney.
For more information on our Columbus law firm, or to schedule a free, no-obligation medical malpractice attorney consultation, contact our office today.