Medicine is supposed to be there to help us, and usually it does. However, sometimes things go terribly wrong. Whether you believe your chiropractor, nurse, GP or surgeon has been negligent, you have a course of action under Australian law. So what should you do if this happens to you?

2. QUESTION:

3. Botched Medical Procedure or Medical
Malpractice is an act of negligence by a health
care provider in which the treatment provided
falls below the accepted standard of practice in
he medical community and causes distress or
death to the patient.

4. Whether you believe your chiropractor, nurse, GP or
surgeon has been negligent, you have a course of
action under Australian law.
However, laws around medical negligence are
extremely strict and it pays to be informed when you
find yourself injured or hurt, and desperate for
compensation.

5. So what
should
you do?

6. Put Your Health First
Your health is most important, so if something has
gone wrong, make sure you seek help to fix it.
If you are unhappy with your current doctor or
medical practitioner, seek referrals from friends or
from your GP.
Even though may feel that you can no longer trust the
medical system, it’s important to not stop getting
treatment if you need it.

7. Keep All Documentations
Keep all documentation that you have access to from
your medical procedure.
This could be notes from a consultation, referrals,
prescriptions, photos, comments from other
practitioners: anything that might be relevant!
The documentation could be essential to your case.

8. Find Out If You Have a Case
To win your case, you need to be able to prove that
not only did your medical practitioner fail to act to a
acceptable medical standard, but that this also caused
you significant pain and suffering.
A ‘mistake’ or failed procedure is not an immediate
cause for a case.
You should discuss the case with a medical
compensation lawyer to help determine if you have a
case.

9. File Your Claim
Your lawyer will help you make your claim for medical
compensation, guiding you on legal standards for
amounts of compensation and your chances of
success.
Depending on the severity of the injury, you could be
eligible for anywhere from thousand to millions.

10. Mary Kate Manning
GROVEHOUSE TASMANIA
Manager, writer, and traveller.
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