Certain acts or omissions are obviously instances of medical negligence. Some of the most obvious acts include what are known as “never events,” including a physician operating on the wrong side of the body, a physician leaving a foreign object in a patient after surgery, and a physician performing surgery without the patient’s consent.

However, other instances of medical negligence are more subtle–so subtle that you might not have confidence that you’ve been the victim of medical negligence.

So, how do you recognize the less-than-obvious examples of negligence? What clues are there?

Some experiences that should prompt suspicion about medical negligence include the following:

1. A patient suffering a complication that is unusual and unforeseen with regard to the condition being treated.

2. A bad result for a patient who was basically healthy or who was having a basic procedure or treatment.

3. A bad result for a patient who complained of symptoms for a long time before receiving the correct diagnosis.

4. A bad result for a patient who was treated for conditions that seem causally unrelated to the complication that led to the poor outcome.

5. A failed treatment that was not properly monitored for its effectiveness.

6. A clinical finding that is ignored because it appears unrelated to the primary condition being treated, but that leads to a negative and preventable outcome due to not having been examined.

If you believe you’ve been injured due to the negligence of a medical professional, you should seek the help of an attorney as soon as possible.

If you have not yet started a lawsuit and are contemplating bringing one, we encourage you to contact us today. We can answer your legal questions and would love to talk with you.