What to Do When a Doctor Won't Look You in the Eye
With more than 30 years of experience in medical malpractice litigation, the trial lawyers of Greene & Eisen have a pretty good idea of what our clients need from their doctors. In most cases, of course, they need financial compensation to help cover the losses and expenses caused by professional negligence.
Before it even comes to a claim for damages, however, most of our clients look for straight answers from the doctors and nurses they have worked with prior to a disastrous patient outcome. People usually understand that even the most talented medical professionals can't work miracles, and there can be many reasons why a particular treatment or surgical procedure didn't work. In the most difficult cases, people tend to accept the risks of longshot medical procedures.
There are ways to tell the difference between a desperate treatment protocol that simply didn't work and an injury or death caused by a medical professional's negligence. When they have something to hide, doctors and hospitals have a way of circling the wagons in an attempt to protect themselves from liability. Here are some things to look for:
- Refusal to explain what happened over the phone
- Avoidance behaviors or evasions like failing to return calls or minimizing the information provided in an e-mail
- Delays in providing medical records, or turning over incomplete records
- Insistence on a scheduled office visit rather than a phone conversation to explain a medical outcome
- Presence of a risk manager (identifiable by a business suit) during a scheduled office visit with a doctor
- Terse, rude or incomplete explanations with a reluctance to answer follow-up questions
A physician's unwillingness or failure to explain a medical outcome suggests at least a strong possibility that there's a concern for medical malpractice liability. That's when you should seek the advice of a knowledgeable attorney.
Call 216-687-0900 for Advice About Medical Malpractice Litigation
At Greene & Eisen, our practice has focused on Ohio medical malpractice claims since 1976. If your doctor can't give you a straight answer about what went wrong, maybe your lawyer can. Contact our office in Cleveland for a free consultation about your legal options.
