No one who checks into a hospital expects to end up being injured during their stay. But the fact is, patients do sometimes suffer harm while undergoing treatment. When such an unfortunate event occurs, a patient or their family may choose to pursue legal action against any culpable parties.
In order to file a medical malpractice lawsuit, you want to establish that some form of negligence transpired. Because an injury may be due to any number of possible causes, patients and their representatives need access to the patient’s medical records. As we have previously written on this blog, you are legally entitled to be given copies to your medical records.
Your right to this information is provided by The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. Also, the HIPAA requires that hospitals hold your records in strict confidentiality. But what sort of documentation might prove especially important in forming a lawsuit?
You will likely want to focus on medical invoices as well as information pertaining to prescription drugs and insurance. Additionally, mental health records might help shed some light on the situation. For instance, you may have been harmed if you had been taking medication for a mental issue and then were given another drug that caused an adverse reaction.
A medical malpractice suit can be very complicated to assemble. There are so many different things that must be taken into account in order to determine the dollar amount required to compensate for an injury.
For example, you may have endured a level of pain and suffering that could merit recompense. There is also the issue of money lost due to time off from work. If your injuries are of a severe enough nature, you may even require expensive long-term care.
If you are interested in pursuing a medical malpractice suit, an Arizona attorney may be able to provide you with the advice and guidance you need to follow through.
