Millions of people subscribe to one wellness plan or another. Fitness apps, meal prep routines, gym memberships. Everyone has heard the advice.
Eat clean. Exercise. Get your sleep.
But there is one thing most wellness plans leave out.
Your legal health rights.
The legal side of things isn’t glamorous or meme-worthy. But after a serious medical injury — brain injury or otherwise — knowing your rights is just as important as exercise.
Medical errors cost hundreds of thousands of Americans their livelihoods every year. 800,000 Americans disabled or killed by diagnostic mistakes alone! When they cause brain damage, the results are forever.
That is why speaking with an experienced Irvine medical malpractice attorney after a brain injury is step number one on your recovery roadmap.
An attorney serves as your champion against medical negligence. Helping you understand your rights, documenting negligence, and building your claim.
Your medical recovery depends on it.
You’ll find:
- What Are Your Legal Health Rights?
- Why Brain Injuries Are a Category of Their Own
- 4 Signs You Might Need a Brain Injury Attorney
- How Legal Action Directly Supports Recovery
- What to Do After a Medical Injury
What Are Your Legal Health Rights?
Patients in America have a right to competent medical care.
Medical providers have a duty to provide safe, accepted standards of treatment. When negligent care causes harm — that is medical malpractice.
Patients injured by medical negligence are legally entitled to:
- An accurate diagnosis
- Treatment that follows accepted standards of care
- Disclosure of known risks before procedures
- Compensation when negligence causes harm
Here’s the problem.
Virtually everyone harmed by medical negligence never knows their rights. Victims never file claims.
Negligent doctors and hospitals would love for you to continue assuming this is how it goes.
The problem is it’s not.
Patients deserve justice and compensation when medical negligence causes harm. Knowing your legal health rights is the first step in claiming them.
Why Brain Injuries Are a Category of Their Own
Not all medical mistakes are created equal.
Brain injuries caused by malpractice fall under their own category for good reason. Brain cells die every minute they go without oxygen. Delayed treatment only compounds the damage.
Every year roughly 12 million Americans are diagnosed with incorrect conditions as outpatients. Diagnostic errors involving the brain require immediate treatment.
Missteps that lead to brain injuries at the hands of medical professionals include:
- Surgical errors near the neck, spine, or brain
- Anesthesia errors causing oxygen deprivation
- Failure to diagnose a stroke, infection, or bleed
- Medication mistakes that damage brain function
- Birth injuries depriving babies of oxygen
If you’ve suffered any of the above, act quickly.
That’s because when it comes to brain injuries — time is brain.
A growing brain injury can take weeks to reveal itself. Hospital records and evidence of negligence disappear when staff rotate.
You have no time to lose.
4 Signs You Might Need a Brain Injury Attorney
Not sure if your situation applies?
Check out these four indicators that speaking with a brain injury attorney is your best course of action.
- A brain injury occurred during medical care. Surprise brain injuries shouldn’t just happen. If there was no risk disclosed up front, find out why.
- Diagnosis of your condition was delayed. Certain types of brain damage need to be treated ASAP. Did delays cause your condition to worsen?
- The wrong medicine was prescribed. Accidentally prescribing the wrong drug can have serious downstream consequences for brain health.
- A newborn suffered brain damage during delivery. Birth injuries are responsible for a large percentage of infant brain trauma.
Any of the above scenarios sound familiar?
Do not wait to call.
How Legal Action Directly Supports Recovery
There is something that doesn’t get talked about enough.
Legal action after medical negligence is part of your recovery from injury.
Not something separate from it.
Medical malpractice is estimated to affect 1 in 20 Americans.
The victims that file claims receive justice on average. Because negligence claims can be used to recover:
- Coverage for all past and future medical treatment
- Replacement income during recovery
- Pay for in-home support, care, and rehabilitation
- Money for pain, suffering, and emotional trauma
Brain injuries require intensive treatment for the rest of your life. Quality treatment is expensive. Insurance often falls short of covering costs.
Without the funds to pay for recovery, life after a brain injury can be drastically diminished. Filing a legal claim puts you in charge of your future.
What to Do After a Medical Injury
So what do you do if you suspect medical negligence caused your brain injury?
Step 1 — document everything. Keep records of all medical appointments, medications prescribed, diagnosis given, and doctor communications.
Step 2 — get a second opinion. If you suspect misdiagnosis or your diagnosis was delayed — seek a second opinion from another doctor ASAP.
Step 3 — do not sign anything. Hospitals and insurance companies may request you sign paperwork after incidents occur. Never sign without consulting an attorney.
Step 4 — contact a brain injury attorney. The brain injury attorneys at Verdict Victory specialise in cases just like yours. Contact them now to preserve evidence.
Step 5 — preserve all evidence. Medications, medical devices, discharge paperwork. If you come across it, save it.
The Real Cost of Not Knowing Your Rights
Investing in your legal wellness is part of taking care of yourself.
Looking out for your legal rights means you and your family are covered on all fronts. Recovery from brain injury blows up every aspect of your wellness plan.
To drive the point home…
- Medical mistakes are responsible for causing permanent harm to hundreds of thousands of Americans each year.
- Brain injury victims need fast, expert legal guidance to understand their options.
- Filing a negligence claim pays for your recovery and future treatment.
- Knowing your legal health rights is the first step to protecting them.
You have nothing to lose and everything to gain by staying informed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are the answers to commonly asked questions patients bring up.
What does a brain injury attorney do?
A brain injury attorney will investigate your case, speak with medical experts, and work to recover maximum compensation for your injury.
How long do you have to file a brain injury malpractice claim?
States usually provide between one and three years to file a claim. Time limits vary, so call today to avoid missing your window.
Does hiring a brain injury attorney cost money?
Attorneys typically work on a contingency fee basis. That means no fees unless you win your case.
The owners and authors of Cinnamon Hollow are not doctors and this is in no way intended to be used as medical advice. We cannot be held responsible for your results. As with any product, service or supplement, use at your own risk. Always do your own research and consult with your personal physician before using.
Meg is an author at Cinnamon Hollow. She writes on a variety of topics sharing tips and ideas for daily life.
