Did Your Doctor Disregard Your Pain Complaints?

Posted on April 15, 2023 by Shapiro Law Group

patient telling physician about his pain and health problems during visit to hospitalWhen you’re in pain, one thing that you would never expect is for your doctor to dismiss your complaints. Unfortunately, this happens more often than you might think. If your doctor disregarded your pain complaints and it led to further medical problems, you may be able to hold them liable. If your concern is that “my doctor’s not helping me,” a medical negligence attorney in Tampa can help if medical issues arise due to neglect.

When Your Doctor Disregards Your Pain Complaints

If you go to the doctor complaining of pain, they should take your complaints seriously. If you’re asking yourself, “why doesn’t my doctor help me,” there are various factors. It’s their job to diagnose and treat patients. But sometimes, doctors dismiss patients’ pain complaints without properly investigating them.

It can have serious consequences. For example, if you have a broken bone, ignoring your pain complaints could result in the bone not healing properly.

In other cases, ignoring pain complaints could lead to a misdiagnosis. For example, if you have appendicitis, but your doctor dismisses your pain as indigestion, you could end up with a ruptured appendix–a life-threatening condition.

Another potential consequence is delayed treatment. If your doctor ignores your pain complaints, you could wait weeks or even months for a diagnosis and treatment. This delay could make your condition worse and lead to additional medical problems.

Additionally, you may undergo unnecessary treatments if your doctor dismisses your pain complaints. For example, if you have a headache, your doctor may order a brain scan even though it’s unlikely to show anything. Not only are these tests costly, but they also expose you to unnecessary radiation.

Also, your diagnosis may change. If you have a disease like cancer, you must start treatment as soon as possible to be effective. But if your doctor dismisses your pain complaints, you may not get the treatment you need.

Finally, the follow-up care you receive may be inadequate. If your doctor dismisses your pain complaints, they may not give you the proper instructions for follow-up care. It could result in your condition getting worse or you developing new problems.

Is Your Doctor Liable for Future Medical Problems?

If your doctor disregarded your pain complaints and it led to further medical problems, you may be able to hold them liable. To do this, you must prove that the doctor was negligent. It means they failed to provide the standard of care that a reasonable doctor would have provided in the same situation.

To win a medical malpractice case, you would need to show that the doctor’s negligence caused you to suffer injuries. For example, if you have a broken bone that doesn’t heal properly because your doctor ignored your pain complaints, you could sue for damages.

Another factor to look at is whether the doctor was responsible for diagnosing and treating your condition. It is usually only the case if you have an ongoing relationship with the doctor—you’re their regular patient. If you only saw the doctor once, it may be more difficult to prove that they had a duty to provide the standard of care.

Standard of care is usually determined by looking at what other doctors in the same field would have done in the same situation. So, if you’re suing a doctor for ignoring your pain complaints, your FL medical malpractice attorney in Tampa will look at how other doctors would have handled the situation.

Legal Help from a Medical Negligence Attorney in Tampa

If you’ve been injured because your doctor disregarded your pain complaints, it’s important to seek legal help from an experienced medical malpractice attorney in Tampa—you may be entitled to compensation. An FL medical malpractice attorney can help you gather evidence to support your claim and build a strong case against the doctor.

At Shapiro Law Group, our skilled attorneys have experience handling medical malpractice cases. We understand the complex laws and regulations surrounding these cases and will fight tirelessly to get you the compensation you deserve. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation.

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