If you've been harmed - or your condition has worsened - while under the care of a doctor, you could have grounds for receiving compensation. There are a variety of cases in which your doctor could be liable, but most people are unaware of many of these. So, if you think you deserve compensation in some way, here are eight signs you should hire a medical malpractice attorney in Maryland.

8 Signs You Should Hire a Medical Malpractice Attorney

Misdiagnosis or Delayed Diagnosis

Probably the most common causes of medical malpractice are misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis. If a doctor has misdiagnosed you, you could be receiving medication or treatment that exacerbates your condition. Conversely, a delayed diagnosis can be potentially fatal. Often, this is simply down to substandard care given by your doctor and can result in you getting compensation.

It sometimes happens that your insurance will try to downplay your misdiagnosis to offer a smaller payout, so it's always good to hire a lawyer so you can get the compensation that you deserve.

Failure To Treat/Doctor Ignores Your Condition

Sadly, this one is more common than you would expect and is one of the main complaints regarding medical malpractice in Maryland. If you are experiencing issues with the current treatment you are receiving, or are simply getting ignored when you complain about persistent pains, this is considered malpractice on their side and you should immediately consult a lawyer.

Prescription Drug Errors

Another one of the most common forms of medical malpractice in the US is prescription drug errors. Every year, over 1.5 million Americans take misprescribed medication that ends up doing much more harm than good. While this is a common complaint, you'll probably only receive compensation from this if the drugs you were prescribed did clear damage to you or a loved one or worsened either of your conditions.

Surgical Errors

Unfortunately, surgical errors do happen, and these can often be the most debilitating of medical malpractices. Common surgical errors involve accidentally cutting another organ, giving too much (or too little) anesthetic, infections, and foreign objects left inside the patient, all of which can be potentially fatal.

This is one of the more serious cases of medical malpractice, and if you have found that a surgical error has taken place that has either made your condition worse or damaged your body, you could receive a large payout from the hospital.

Childbirth Injuries

Injuries can happen during childbirth to both the mother and the baby, and these can often be very serious. As this is such a delicate procedure, it requires excellent quality of care from professional midwives and doctors. Issues that can arise include giving the child permanent disabilities, which can then snowball and deteriorate the mother's mental health, bringing potential marital or career problems.

Because this is such a serious and sensitive issue, it is highly recommended to hire an experienced lawyer to help you with childbirth injury cases.

Contradictory Medical Opinions

Sometimes, if your doctor suggests a treatment that you don't believe is necessary, you may feel like you should get a second opinion from another doctor. This can be a good idea if you are being recommended medication that you don't like the sound of. If the second opinion you receive from a different doctor is contrary to the original treatment you were suggested, you should call a lawyer to help you.

If you get a top medical malpractice lawyer in Maryland, they will be able to help you sort out the issues between contradicting doctors' statements and find which one of them may be liable.

Insurance Problems

Often, your insurance company may try to water down your claims so as not to pay out as much. As professionals who are there to help you specifically, and not just fill a company's pocket, lawyers are a great go-between for you and your insurance, so you can guarantee you are getting paid out the amount you should be.

Paperwork

Nobody likes doing paperwork, especially trawling through books full of confusing legal terms that you don't understand. This is where your lawyer can help. They will sit down with you and go over all the documents, explaining what they mean and what is needed to respond to them.

These are signs you should hire a medical malpractice attorney, but there are also many other reasons you should get help from a lawyer if you feel you've received substandard medical care. Lawyers not only help you with all the tedious bits such as paperwork and legal terms, but you can also see your compensation amount rise considerably with their help. With confusing medical cases, it is always best the seek the help of an attorney.