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You know the process; you have a medical need, and instead of seeing a doctor, you see everyone else in the facility. You probably see nurses often. You may also see midwives, administrators, the janitor, and yet the doctors are nowhere to be seen. The medical dramas that graced TV have created the image that doctors should always be on hand and be the ones responding to your medical needs, but in reality, that couldn’t be further from the truth.
So what happened when you sustained an injury because a doctor wasn’t there? If you were in a medical facility and waiting for a doctor to show up or knew that your doctor should be the one to respond to an issue, then your injury might be on them. It is possible to take a personal injury case against a doctor not only for medical malpractice but for overworking negligence. Contact our Cincinnati personal injury attorneys today.
Why Do You See Nurses Far More Often Than Doctors?
Although the headlines running through media outlets currently are about a nursing shortage, if you walk into a hospital or even your doctor’s office, it’s likely that you’ll see a number of nurses and very few doctors. This isn’t a coincidence. Nurses are extremely valuable and often provide much more of the actual medical care and treatment than doctors do. They go through extensive, and extremely demanding medical training, and many facilities require that their nurses undergo ongoing education. That means, over the course of the nurse’s career, they may actually have more education than a doctor.
Typically you will see a nurse more often than a doctor because nurses offer the big picture of your health. They look at vital signs and listen to your complaints. They are the ones who evaluate the forest, not the trees. Doctors, however, often work within specialties or niches in medical treatment. That can make them both more and less valuable than the nurse on hand.
Stats on Medical Negligence
A study done through the Johns Hopkins Medical Center established that the high volume of medical errors could be the third leading cause of death in the United States. It’s estimated that about 250,000 deaths per year happened because of medical negligence and malpractice.
The alarming element is that while there are 250,000 deaths per year, there are likely far more injuries. Medical negligence can include errors in diagnosis, mistakes, in the absence of safety nets, and much more. When it comes to doctors not checking in on their patients, it’s a combination of a few of the elements just mentioned. When doctors failed to look in on their patience, it’s often a mistake or a breach in a hospital or facility policy. It is also the absence of a safety net. Many facilities will encourage nurses to get doctors in certain events, and when those doctors don’t respond, the safety net has failed.
Using Reports and Statements to Hold a Doctor Accountable
To hold the doctor accountable for negligence, including not checking in on a patient, you may need to subpoena reports from the hospital and statements. Almost every element of communication that happens in a hospital is documented. That means that if a nurse alerted a doctor that a patient needed to see them, there should be documentation of that communication. Additionally, if a patient was put on a doctor’s roster for check-ins, that would be documented.
It may also be possible to acquire statements from hospital employees and fellow medical professionals regarding that specific doctor’s actions. It may justify or disprove an excuse. For example, if that doctor was supposed to check in on you, but was responding to an emergency situation such as a patient losing their pulse, the lack of check-in from that particular doctor may be excused. Then the responsibility may fall to the facility for not finding another medical professional to address your need for care.
Finding Support From Personal Injury Attorneys in Cincinnati for Personal Injuries
To get help evaluating your legal options and taking action against a negligent doctor, you can contact us at Young, Reverman, and Mazzei. Our law offices serve the community of Cincinnati and help people seek compensation for the injuries done by other people. Through negligence, carelessness, and even wealth practice, a medical professional could be responsible for your injuries.
When you evaluate that a doctor’s responsibility is to their patient, and their job duty includes checking in and looking after their patients, it’s clear that they owe you a duty of care period working with our Law Offices can help you gain control over your civil lawsuit.
