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Medical Negligence Essay

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Medical Negligence Essay
Medical providers are the cornerstone to health. After all, they diagnose, treat, and cure many illnesses and diseases. Although most medical providers aim to provide the highest standard of care to all patients, there are times when things can go wrong. When this happens, it may be due to medical negligence.
What is Medical Negligence?
Medical negligence occurs when a doctor or other medical professional harms a patient. Misdiagnoses, improper treatment, or recklessness may all be considered medical negligence. Mistakes and other issues may also fall under medical negligence, depending on the circumstances involved.
Common Types of Medical Negligence
Many situations can lead to medical negligence claims. Some categories under medical negligence …show more content…
Basic Requirements for Medical Negligence Claims
In order to prove that medical negligence occurred, the patient must provide documentation. Common forms of acceptable documentation include:
• A proven doctor-patient relationship: Patients must provide documentation that there was an existing doctor-patient relationship. Medical bills, treatment forms, and doctor ordered prescriptions all count towards proving a relationship exists.
• The doctor was negligent: Patients must prove without a reasonable doubt that the doctor was in fact, negligent. Simply being unhappy with the services provided do not count. In general, patients will need to prove that the doctor caused harm or worsened a condition.
• The negligence caused injury: Patients must prove that the injury or illness was caused by or worsened by the doctor. This can be hard, but is necessary for all medical negligence cases.
• The injury led to damages: Lastly, patients must prove that the negligence led to specific damages. Physical pain, mental suffering, additional medical bills, and lost work all count.
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