Chicago Improper Treatment Attorney
Improper Treatment
After a condition, disease, or ailment has been diagnosed, doctors are expected to identify and pursue the correct, medically approved method of treatment. Improper treatment occurs when doctors mistakenly prescribe the wrong treatment for a patient or fail to provide appropriate treatment.
Today, there is no medical excuse for a doctor prescribing improper medical treatment for the vast majority of diagnosed conditions. Countless resources are available to the physician on the internet and through medical libraries to educate the physician about proper, nationally recognized treatment options for virtually any given diagnosis. Moreover, if a physician, such as an internist, family practitioner, or other primary care physician, feels she is “over her head,” she has the right and obligation to consult with specialist physicians in the area of medicine at issue or even to transfer care to another physician better qualified to treat the particular illness at issue. Finally, where a diagnosed condition requires expertise or equipment unavailable at a given hospital, that patient should be transferred or, at least, offered a transfer to another facility with the resources necessary to handle the patient’s needs. Doctors are not negligent because they lack immediate recall of proper treatment options for every illness or disease; rather, they are negligent when they fail to avail themselves of the medical resources and community around them necessary to provide each patient with proper care.
The prescribing of improper treatment or failure to give timely, proper treatment is dangerous for two reasons:
First, in treating most medical conditions, time is vital. Wounds fester, diseases progress, and disorders worsen as time goes on. For many health problems, the window of opportunity for effective treatment is relatively short – and once the window closes, it does not reopen. Any time wasted on pursuing an improper treatment is time which cannot be regained. Second, many medical treatment regimens and therapies are highly specific. A drug which may be life-saving for one patient may be fatal for another. When doctors follow the wrong treatment plan, adverse reactions can occur, which lead to further damage, dangerous side effects, and possibly even death.
As professionals, doctors have an obligation to exercise a reasonable standard of care when treating their patients. When they violate this obligation by pursuing an improper treatment, they can be held responsible for their medical malpractice.
If you or someone you love has been hurt because of improper treatment at a hospital or doctor’s office, a Chicago improper treatment attorney can help you fight for justice. At Friedman & Bonebrake, P.C., we believe that medical professionals ought to be accountable for their actions. To learn more about how our Chicago medical malpractice lawyers successfully represent clients, call us at 312-466-8200