Forms of Abuse in Medical Malpractice Cases

January 19, 2018

When someone is already sick or injured and seeking inpatient treatment at a hospital, they will typically be in a fragile state. With this in mind, it is important that patients receive adequate care. Unfortunately, sometimes the exact opposite occurs.

Patient abuse can occur in many different forms and it is important that you become familiar with these different types of abuse so that you don’t fall victim to it.

Physical

This is the most commonly known form of patient abuse. This occurs any time a staff member physically hits, kicks, pinches, or otherwise injures a patient. This type of abuse can occur between patients as well. If a patient hurts another patient in any way, it is the hospital’s responsibility to break up the conflict, assess the patient’s injuries, and file a report indicating any action that must be taken.

Verbal

This type of abuse occurs when a patient is put down, humiliated, or verbally attacked. It is the hospital’s responsibility to care for the patient both physically and mentally, and when a staff member verbally assaults a patient, this could have serious effects on both the physical and mental health of the patient. Patients need to be encouraged throughout the healing and recovery process, and if they are being verbally abused, it could hinder this process and be considered a form of medical malpractice.

Unnecessary Treatment

It is important that the patient receive every treatment necessary for a full recovery. However, the doctors should be wise when making these decisions. With many medical mysteries, unnecessary treatment many be inevitable when trying to decide the proper course of action. However, when a million different treatments are tried, each with a low chance of actually helping, this becomes a form of abuse. For example, serious research should be conducted before a patient is treated with chemotherapy. Decisions should be made regarding the right course of action before treatment, and very little chances should be taken in regard to this.

Neglect

Neglect occurs any time that a patient’s needs are not met. If a person requires medication at a certain time every day, it is the staff’s responsibility to make sure that the patient receives that medicine at the right time. For example, if a patient is receiving pain medication after a surgery, it is important that the staff stay on time when providing this medication or the patient could experience serious pain. The same is true for any form of food, water, or exercise. It is considered a form of medical malpractice if a patient is neglected in any way while receiving medical treatment from a hospital.

Help from an Indiana Medical Malpractice Lawyer

If you were abused in anyway while receiving medical treatment, you could be entitled to compensation. Call Hensley Legal Group today or contact us online for a free consultation.