Why “Standard of Care” is Important to Your Medical Malpractice Case
As we have often discussed in our Westmoreland Injury Lawyers blog articles, there are many variables in medical treatment scenarios that can lead to patients experiencing severe bodily harm. Medical malpractice is the legal term used to describe these situations when a healthcare provider makes an avoidable mistake or acts negligently, resulting in injury or illness of their patient.
Proving medical malpractice, though, can be complicated. Among other factors, your attorney must show that your physician or other healthcare provider deviated from something called the “standard of care.” Today’s post explains a little bit more about what that means in medical malpractice cases.
Standard of Care Defined
As we introduced in our Complete Guide to Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer chapter on things you should know about medical malpractice, the term standard of care relates to how a medical professional approached diagnosing or treating you.
In short, standard of care refers to what a reasonably prudent medical provider would or would not have done in a similar diagnostic and treatment process compared to yours. Proving that a healthcare provider deviated from the standard of care is one of the most critical things personal injury attorneys must do when it comes to determining whether malpractice occurred.
A Legal Term, Not a Medical Term
It’s important to remember that standard of care is one of many legal terms relating to medical malpractice cases, though it’s not terminology that all doctors are readily familiar with. Why does this matter?
Well, approaching your doctor or hospital and questioning the standard of care they exercised in treating you likely won’t be very helpful.
If you feel that you have not been treated with the proper degree of care in a medical setting, you should always consult a personal injury attorney with extensive experience in the area of medical malpractice cases first. We realize that can seem intimidating when you are not sure whether you have a case, but we are here to help you get answers about your potential mistreatment.
Medical Malpractice May Be On the Rise
It’s a fact—our American healthcare system was not ready to handle the current COVID-19 situation. Doctors and other medical staff are working under stress and strain like we have never seen before.
While our hearts go out to them—and many of these professionals are doing the best they can under extremely difficult circumstances—the coronavirus crisis of 2020 is a potential medical malpractice crisis, as well. The situation is leading to many patients receiving a less comprehensive degree of care due to staffing and life-saving equipment shortages in hospitals and care facilities across the United States.
And while we’re all in this pandemic crisis together, if you or a loved one has received substandard care, it’s imperative that you explore your legal options with an experienced personal injury attorney.
Westmoreland Injury Lawyers is Here for Our Western PA Neighbors
During this unprecedented time, we certainly hope that you and your loved ones are safe and staying healthy. However, if you have experienced poor outcomes from recent healthcare encounters—or you have concerns about the safety of medications you’ve been prescribed—call our experienced personal injury lawyers to discuss your rights. We can help you get the compensation you deserve for your medical malpractice-related injuries and more.
Schedule your FREE legal evaluation with Westmoreland Injury Lawyers in Greensburg, PA today.
