When you think of medical malpractice, you probably think of doctors who practice in a traditional physician’s office or hospital setting. Many people receive medical care from doctors and health care providers who practice outside of those settings. These medical professionals are also potentially liable to their clients if the care that they provide is not given in accordance with the applicable standard of care.
Chiropractors are one type of medical care provider who can be held liable for medical malpractice. A chiropractor in South Carolina was found to have committed malpractice after a patient ended up in the hospital with a ruptured disk in her back after receiving two chiropractic treatments. The injured woman now experiences chronic pain, and her injury requires ongoing physical therapy and medical attention. In her malpractice lawsuit, the woman alleged that the chiropractor had not conducted a proper physical exam, nor had he fully evaluated her medical history or taken proper x-rays before performing either of the two chiropractic treatments. She also alleged that the chiropractor had falsified her medical records so that they gave an incorrect account of the care that he had provided to her. Plaintiffs in other, similar cases have also brought successful medical malpractice claims against chiropractors who either performed a chiropractic manipulation negligently or failed to diagnose a medical condition which required medical care from another provider, such as a primary care physician or a hospital.
Fewer medical malpractice cases are brought against chiropractors than against other types of doctors. This may be because many of the injuries that are caused by improper chiropractic care do not rise to the level of severity that would indicate medical malpractice. However, there are cases involving severe injuries resulting from improper chiropractic care or a failure to diagnose a medical condition which requires additional medical treatment in which a chiropractor’s actions do constitute malpractice because they do fall outside of the applicable standard of care. The standard of care that applies to chiropractors is that any chiropractor must use the same degree of care and competence as other ordinary, prudent chiropractors.
Giddens Law Firm, P.A.: Mississippi Medical Malpractice Attorneys
Chiropractic care can provide relief from many types of pain. The safest way to receive chiropractic care is upon the advice of your primary care physician, who can work with your chiropractor to suggest a course of treatment that is appropriate for your condition. If you have experienced an injury due to an improperly performed chiropractic adjustment, or if you were injured when your chiropractor failed to diagnose a medical condition which required additional care, it is important that you speak to a Mississippi Medical Malpractice Attorney right away. A Mississippi Medical Malpractice Attorney can help you to pursue the financial recovery that you deserve as you focus on your physical recovery. To learn more about how the attorneys at the Giddens Law Firm, P.A. can help you, please call our office today, at (601) 355-2022.