I am a Baton Rouge, Louisiana medical malpractice lawyer who recently underwent a minor overnight medical procedure that resulted in an unexpected and severe burn injury to my face. When I left the hospital, the extent of the burn injury was suspected to be minor and the cause was unknown. When I got home, I realized that the burn was much more severe than I had thought and I was extremely angry. I contacted the medical facility and the director promptly returned my phone call, expressed his genuine concern, and assured me that every effort would be made to determine the cause of the burn so that no other patients would be harmed. I was satisfied with the response and no longer felt any ill-will toward the facility for what happened to me because as a medical malpractice lawyer, I realize that sometimes bad things happen, complications occur, and injuries are sustained, but that does not mean that medical malpractice has occurred. A simple and sincere phone call was all that was necessary to “calm the savage beast”.
All too often, however, I hear about medical providers faced with even minor complications or unforseen injuries who ignore their patients or, worse yet, treat their patients like it was their fault. In my humble opinion, a good bed-side manner, an empathetic ear, and an expression of concern for the patient goes along way toward reducing medical malpractice lawsuits involving accepted complications and unforeseen injuries. I would venture to say that over one-half of all of my medical malpractice consultations with potential clients begin with a recitation of how poorly the patient or his/her family felt they were treated by the medical provider after the complication or injury occurred. So, follow the Golden Rule–Do Unto Others as You Would Have Them Do Unto You–and we will all sleep a little better at night. Of course, if the complication or injury is the result of actual medical malpractice, even a kind and understanding health care provider should be held accountable for his/her actions.
If you or a loved one has been seriously injured or suffered a wrongful death as a result of medical malpractice, contact the experienced Baton Rouge, Louisiana medical malpractice lawyers at Dué Guidry Piedrahita Andrews Courrege L.C.. Email Louisiana injury lawyers or call (225) 929-7481 to schedule a free consultation.