Legal action to take in the event of a podiatrist malpractice

The development in the field of medicine has blessed man with a better health and a longer life expectancy. Podiatry is a subdivision of medicine that deals specifically with the ailments of the legs, ankles and feet. It is a relatively recent field of medical sciences, which has grown in importance in the past few years owing to the ever-augmenting number of sports injuries being reported. The reliability of podiatric treatment is doubted by a vast majority of the population because of the increasing podiatrist malpractice cases.

Podiatrists receive the license to practice only after they complete their clinical internship period that equips them with the skill needed to deal with patients and varying cases of podiatric injuries and diseases. Despite these years of clinical practice, some podiatrists fail to deliver what is expected from them and instead of alleviating the pain of the patient; they end up giving their subjects a lifetime of pain. In the most severe cases of such malpractices, podiatric patients have been reported to have lost the function of their lower limbs entirely. Negligence of a podiatrist can make the victim physically, socially and economically impaired. There is a high chance of the patient never returning back to a normal life.

If you have been a victim of podiatrist malpractice, you can take legal action against the responsible podiatrist by filing a medical malpractice lawsuit against him or her. You need to present your selected lawyer with the following clear evidence to be eligible for suing the practitioner:

X-ray reports and prescriptions that prove that the podiatrist failed at diagnosing the problem that led to medical consequences that the client was not informed about before the start of the therapy.

Detailed proof of a permanent injury that cannot be rectified by other medical treatments

The extent and type of influence the podiatrist malpractice has had on your life

Podiatric malpractice can always be prevented

Medical professionals are expected to provide optimum healthcare facilities to the general public. Besides years of college education, healthcare professionals are trained in clinics to equip them with the skill and tactics needed to cater patients. Podiatry is a subdivision of medicine that is dedicated to addressing the problems of the lower limbs and its associated organs. Despite the quality of podiatrist education and years of clinical training, podiatrists have not been able to overcome podiatrist malpractice problems that have adversely affected the reputation of the profession.

Podiatrists, like other medical professionals, are prone to making mistakes that can cost their patients their health and wealth. At times, when a podiatric treatment goes wrong, the patient might never be able to live a normal life again owing to disability of the legs, ankles or feet. For this reason, people who are in need for podiatric attention shy away from going to a podiatrist. However, such malpractice can be avoided if the podiatrist and patient play their part correctly in alleviating the problem.

Some of the steps that can be taken to leave no room for podiatrist malpractice are:

·         The patient-podiatrist relationship should enhance the level of communication between the two to allow easy flow of information between the two. This will permit the podiatrist to understand the patient’s condition better and the podiatrist will be able to address the problem in a better manner.

·         The patient should not expect too much and too early from the podiatric treatment. The period of the treatment should be completed and the routine prescribed by the podiatrist should be followed strictly before making any claims of malpractice.

·         Podiatrist and patients should always consider taking second opinions from other podiatrists to help reinforce the trust in the suggested treatment plan and prevent podiatrist malpractice.

Why podiatric malpractice takes place?

Podiatry is a branch of medical sciences that is dedicated to providing clinical and surgical solutions to injuries of the legs, ankles and the feet. This field is gaining popularity with time with the increasing number of people engaging in sports and other physical activities that have augmented the foot problems we face in our everyday lives. After attaining a college degree in podiatry, a podiatrist needs to train in a clinic before getting his or her license issued. Despite the dedicated years of training, podiatrists have not achieved the recognition and importance they deserve because of the stigma of podiatry malpractice.

Injuries of the legs, ankles and feet are complex. A podiatrist who is new to the profession or lacks the required experience to treat a patient is most likely to make a misdiagnosis which will eventually lead to a therapy that is either ineffective or potentially dangerous to the well-being of the patient. Especially when it comes to podiatric surgery, a fresh clinician might not have the perfection of the surgeon who has been operating on patients for years.

Failure to examine the patient properly can cost a podiatrist his or her entire career. In some cases, podiatrists are eager to recommend surgery to a patient without a thorough medical assessment. A simple x-ray report cannot suffice as the basis for podiatric treatment. Suggesting a surgery to a patient without testing both sides of his body, the state of the associated nerves and the capacity of the affected organs to perform normally is criminal on part of the podiatrist. The result of such a surgery is almost always podiatrist malpractice.

As a victim of podiatrist malpractice you can always seek legal safeguards and help against negligent podiatrists by filing a medical malpractice lawsuit.