How Do I Document a Medical Malpractice Claim?

If you believe that you are the victim of medical malpractice, you may wonder what steps you need to take to document what has happened to you. There are some things you need to do in the aftermath of what you believe is an incident of medical negligence. These generally are steps that you need to take as soon as possible, directly after you believe you’ve become the victim of medical malpractice.

• Obtain medical records
• Gather insurance information
• Organize medical bills and invoices
• Make a written record of your experiences
• Take photos or videos of any obvious injuries
• Hire a medical malpractice lawyer

Obtain Medical Records

The first step you need to take if you believe that you are the victim of medical malpractice is to obtain all necessary medical records. This very well may include medical records associated with the medical treatment or procedure that you believe has resulted in medical negligence and injury to you. It may also include a wider spectrum of medical records. When it comes to obtaining medical records, more is better. A skilled medical malpractice lawyer can assist you in narrowing down what records you need to pursue a claim once you have obtained these documents.

Gather Insurance Information

You will also want to gather any and all insurance information related to your overall healthcare and the specific medical treatment or procedure that you believe has been inappropriately or negligently performed, resulting in injuries to you. Insurance documentation should include:

• Policy
• Claim forms submitted
• Notifications from insurance company
• Claims paid summaries
• Claims denied summaries
• Letters from insurance company

Organize Medical Bills and Invoices

The costs associated with medical care associated with a claim of malpractice are an important element of a case. Therefore, you need to organize any and all medical bills and invoices associated with the original health condition as well as expenses occurred following an incident of suspected medical malpractice.

Make a Written Record of Your Experiences

Another way in which you need to document a medical malpractice claim is to make a written record of your experiences. This can fairly be called a journal. You need to write down what you go through as a result of the perceived medical malpractice you’ve experienced. This includes recording everything from pain you endure on a particular day to itemizing ways in which the aftermath of medical negligence impacts your daily life. When it comes to preparing this written record or journal, you are best served by being as detailed as possible. It is easier to edit a written record as necessary as opposed to attempting to fill in blanks at a later juncture in time.

Take Photos or Videos of Any Obvious Injuries

It there are any evident injuries resulting from what you think has been medical malpractice in your care and treatment, take photos or make videos of those injuries. You will want to consider taking photos or making videos over time to document the state of visible injuries during a particular period. Bear in mind that in many instances injuries sustained as a result of medical malpractice are not visible or readily evident. But, when they are, this is an advisable course of action.

Hire a Medical Malpractice Lawyer

Finally, when it comes to documenting and pursuing a medical malpractice claim, retaining the services of an experienced attorney – like a member of The Doan Law Firm medical malpractice lawyer team – is crucial. The first step in retaining the services of a capable, committed medical malpractice lawyer is to schedule an initial consultation by calling (800) 349-0000.

The Doan Law Firm Houston medical malpractice attorney telephone center is staffed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, including all major holidays. We can schedule an initial consultation and case evaluation with a medical malpractice lawyer at any one of our 40 offices located from coast to coast across the United States, at your home, at the hospital, or at any other location that is convenient for you. A virtual case evaluation with a medical malpractice attorney can be arranged online as well.

There is never a charge for an initial consultation with a Doan Law Firm medical malpractice lawyer. Indeed, The Doan Law Firm has an attorney fee guarantee. Our firm will never charge an attorney fee in your case unless we win for you.