When Alteration of Medical Records Indicates Malpractice
In a misguided attempt to avoid liability for professional mistakes, a doctor or nurse might intentionally conceal or alter paper or electronic medical records. Ohio law provides that proof of tampering with these records can be taken as evidence of malpractice, and even support a claim for punitive damages.
Despite this legal deterrent, the attorneys of Greene & Eisen have seen many instances of such misconduct. To learn how our lawyers and consulting medical experts find evidence of records alteration while investigating medical negligence claims, contact our office in Cleveland for a free evaluation of your case.
Call 216-687-0900 for Advice About Interpreting Medical Records
With the help of forensic computer specialists and experienced medical advisers, our attorneys know how to spot the signs of records alteration in many forms: destruction, deletion, backdating, changed values, forged signatures, and other forms of document fraud. We see evidence of alteration in many forms of medical documentation:
- Patient charts
- Monitor strips
- Prescriptions
- Lab reports
- Medication notes
- Progress reports
- Physician's comments
- Phone and e-mail records
Current rules of pretrial data and document discovery allow our lawyers to acquire digital evidence from computer files and storage drives to determine the principal facts surrounding altered medical records — who changed what when?
Although it can be difficult to prove the intentional nature of document alteration, the motivation can often be inferred from the circumstances. In other words, we can often show that a doctor or nurse knew about a mistake and tried to cover it up in a paper or digital file.
With more than 30 years of medical malpractice trial experience, the lawyers of Greene & Eisen know how to strengthen a negligence claim with evidence of altered records. For a free consultation about your potential claims, contact our office in Cleveland.
