Health-related Legal Cases: How to Protect Yourself Against Negligent Doctors
When you go to the doctor, you trust that he or she will provide you with the best possible care. However, sometimes doctors make mistakes, and when they do, patients can suffer serious injuries as a result. If you have been injured by a negligent doctor in Philadelphia, it is important to understand your legal rights and options.
Negligent Doctors
There are six legal ways to protect yourself from health-related injuries, but each option has its pros and cons, so it is also important to speak with an experienced lawyer about which option is right for you.
Filing a lawsuit
One way to protect yourself from negligent doctors is to file a medical malpractice lawsuit. Medical malpractice lawsuits are designed to hold doctors accountable for their negligence and to recover damages for the injuries that their negligence has caused.
However, medical malpractice lawsuits can be very complex and often take years to resolve. It also depends on the type of injury you suffered. In the words of the Stroke Lawyer Philadelphia, if you suffered a stroke or some other type of neurological damage, you may only have two years to file a medical malpractice lawsuit. Because of these time limits, you must speak with an experienced lawyer as soon as possible if you think you may have a case.
Additionally, in Pennsylvania, there is a $250,000 limit on the amount of non-economic damages that can be recovered in a medical malpractice lawsuit. This means that if you suffer an injury that causes you to incur significant medical bills or lose income as a result of your injury, you may not be able to recover the full amount of damages through a medical malpractice lawsuit.
Pennsylvania Board of Medicine
The Board of Medicine is responsible for investigating complaints against negligent doctors and taking disciplinary action if necessary.
However, the Board of Medicine can only take action if a doctor has violated the Medical Practice Act. This means that if your injury was caused by negligence rather than by a violation of the Medical Practice Act, the Board of Medicine would not be able to help you entirely.
Additionally, the Board of Medicine is not required to investigate every complaint that is filed against a doctor. They will only investigate if they believe that there is a potential violation of the Medical Practice Act.
Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority
On the other hand, the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority is responsible for collecting and analyzing data on patient safety in Pennsylvania. So if you believe you have been injured due to a doctor’s negligence, you can file a report with the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority. The Authority will then investigate the incident and may take action if they find the doctor negligent.
These actions include sending a “Dear Healthcare Professional” letter to the doctor, which is essentially a warning letter. The Authority may also choose to make the incident public on its website.
Pennsylvania Department of Health
Another option is to file a report with the Pennsylvania Department of Health. The Department of Health is responsible for licensing and regulating healthcare facilities in Pennsylvania. The Department will also investigate the incident you report and may revoke or suspend the doctor’s license if they find that the doctor was negligent.
However, filing a report with the Department of Health will not necessarily result in any action being taken against the doctor. In some cases, the Department may choose to take no action at all.
Claiming with your health insurance company
Finally, if you have been injured by a negligent doctor, you may also be able to claim with your health insurance company. This claim will be separate from any legal action you may take against the doctor.
However, it is important to note that your health insurance company will only reimburse you for the expenses that are covered by your policy. So if your policy has a $250,000 limit on medical malpractice coverage, that is the most you will be able to recover from your insurance company.
If you have been injured by a negligent doctor, the most important thing is to speak with an experienced lawyer as soon as possible. Additionally, you may want to file a report with the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority or the Pennsylvania Department of Health. You can also claim with your health insurance company.
However, it is important to note that not all of these options will result in the doctor being held accountable for their actions.
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