Charlottesville Delayed Surgery Attorney
When a person is suffering from a health condition that requires a medical surgery, it’s important that they receive the surgery in a timely manner. While most doctors can be trusted to properly diagnose and treat a condition, including scheduling and performing a surgery, in a reasonable amount of time, this isn’t always the case. Yet when surgery is delayed, the consequences can be serious. If you’re a victim of a delay in medical treatment, including a delayed surgery, our Charlottesville delayed surgery attorneys at the office of MichieHamlett can help. Reach out to our law firm directly today to learn more about how.
Consequences of a Delayed Surgery
The consequences of any type of delay in medical treatment, particularly a delayed surgery, can be tragic. When a surgery is delayed, a patient does not receive the care that they need, which can exacerbate a current condition or lead to additional complications. For example, the failure to get a surgery could lead to heart failure; may result in the spreading of cancer to the point where the cancer is untreatable and fatal; or could result in a patient suffering pain for a longer amount of time then they would have otherwise.
In addition to a delay in surgery, sometimes, the delay is because the patient has been misdiagnosed. As such, the patient may undergo treatment for the wrong condition, which may be invasive, expensive, and physically and emotionally draining on a patient.
Reasons for a Delayed Surgery
A surgery may be delayed for numerous reasons, some of which may be based on logistics (i.e. working with an insurance company to approve coverage), and some of which may be because of medical malpractice – a health professional’s failure to exercise the medical standard of care owed to a patient. Reasons for a delayed surgery might include:
- Delayed or misdiagnosis;
- Failure of the doctor to refer the patient to a specialist;
- Failure to order the proper tests to diagnose the patient’s condition or misinterpretation of those tests;
- Patient or scheduling mix-ups; and
- Carelessness on a doctor’s part.
Do I Have a Medical Malpractice Case?
If you have been the victim of a delayed surgery and the delay has led to harm that you otherwise would not have suffered–such as the exacerbation of your condition–you may have a medical malpractice claim. In addition to proving damages, you’ll also need to prove that the doctor or healthcare professional in question breached the standard of care owed to you. The medical standard of care is the same degree of care that another medical professional of similar background and training would demonstrate in the same situation. In order to prove that the medical standard of care was breached, the testimony of an expert witness (a practitioner in the same field) must be submitted.
Call Our Charlottesville Delayed Surgery Attorneys Today
If you are the victim of a delayed surgery, our Charlottesville delayed surgery attorneys at the office of MichieHamlett can help. Call our law firm today for a free consultation and an explanation of your legal rights.
