Why Getting a Second Opinion Could Save Your Case

When you go to a doctor or hospital for medical care, you are in a uniquely vulnerable position—forced to trust that your provider cares as much about your life as you do and will uphold the medical community’s high standards of care. Unfortunately, sometimes doctors make mistakes or act negligently.

Because most patients aren’t doctors, you may have to rely on your instincts to alert you to substandard care. But after you suspect a doctor’s error has caused you harm, you don’t have to rely on intuition alone. Getting a second opinion is invaluable not only for your physical well-being but also for a medical malpractice claim seeking compensation. In the event a medical error caused your injuries, reach out to our medical malpractice attorney in Chicago today for a free case consultation.

When Should You Get a Second Opinion?

If you don’t feel satisfied with your medical treatment and suspect that your doctor made an error or oversight, it’s crucial to act quickly by getting a second opinion. Common reasons to seek a second medical opinion include the following:

• If you’ve been diagnosed with a serious medical condition
• When your doctor’s recommended treatment isn’t improving your condition
• A doctor’s treatment plan seems too aggressive or high-risk for your condition
• You feel your doctor has dismissed your concerns instead of fully addressing them
• You believe that you did not give informed consent for the treatment or procedure you received

A timely second opinion may not only save you from a non-effective, and potentially harmful, treatment plan, but it may also identify a missed diagnosis before the condition causes serious harm, increased morbidity, or mortality. In a medical malpractice case, a second opinion often becomes key evidence proving your claim.

A Second Opinion May Prove That a Breach of the Duty of Care Occurred in Your Case

Medical providers have a legal obligation to treat their patients at the level of care accepted as standard practice by the medical community. This is their legal duty of care as physicians and other medical providers. Getting a second opinion as soon as you suspect you’ve suffered an injury, worsened medical condition, or have persistent symptoms despite treatment provides the following advantages:

• If the malpractice caused a dangerous condition, you’ll receive the immediate medical care you need through a correct diagnosis and appropriate treatment
• Obtaining a correct diagnosis protects against continued medical treatment for the wrong condition
• A second opinion from a trusted medical professional who is unrelated to the facility where the malpractice occurred helps to identify a deviation from the standard of care
• A second opinion may reveal that the negligent doctor did not treat your condition the way another, reasonable or prudent doctor would have under the same circumstances
• Getting a second opinion provides crucial evidence of the impact of the malpractice

A second opinion also provides key medical expert testimony proving that malpractice, such as a misdiagnosis, delayed diagnosis, medication mistake, or surgical error, occurred in your case.

Important Considerations Before Getting a Second Opinion

When seeking a second opinion, it’s important to obtain a copy of your medical records from the facility where the suspected medical malpractice occurred and bring them with you to your examination. The doctor you see for a second opinion should not be affiliated with the facility where the suspected malpractice occurred to avoid a conflict of interest in your case.

How Can a Chicago Medical Malpractice Lawyer Help Me?

Obtaining your medical records and getting a second opinion are important first steps in determining whether or not you’ve received substandard care. Then, reach out to the personal injury lawyers in Chicago at Smith LaCien to learn more about your legal rights and options for the financial recovery you deserve.