If you suffered injuries while under the care of a medical professional, it is important to speak to a medical malpractice lawyer, like one from Hall-Justice Law Firm. Many people associate medical malpractice with physical injuries, but it can also cause severe emotional distress.
Symptoms of Emotional Distress
Emotional distress refers to the mental pain that occurs after a traumatic event. Suffering an injury because of a medical professional’s negligence can be very traumatic for many patients. Symptoms of emotional distress include depression, trouble sleeping, appetite changes, fatigue, anxiety and aggression.
When You Can File a Lawsuit for Emotional Distress
In order to have a successful medical malpractice lawsuit over emotional distress, you must prove that the medical professional who treated you is responsible for your emotional injuries. To do that, you have to show that the doctor-patient relationship existed, the doctor breached duty of care because of negligence, the negligence led to emotional distress and the emotional distress resulted in actual damages.
A mental health therapist may have to provide testimony about treating you. If your family members and friends witnessed how the emotional distress has affected you, they may be able to testify in court too.
Other pieces of evidence may include journal entries, mental health counseling bills, prescription costs and records of lost wages.
Speaking to a Medical Malpractice Lawyer
If you wish to pursue emotional distress damages that resulted from medical malpractice, your next step is to speak to an experienced medical malpractice lawyer. During your initial consultation, a lawyer will want to find out as much information about your case as possible. He or she may ask what type of medical error your doctor made and how it has affected you physically and mentally.
If you have any documents pertaining to your case, such as medical records and witness statements, bring along to the consultation. The more information your lawyer has to go on, the better.
If you have questions of your own, do not hesitate to ask them during the consultation. For example, you may want to know how many years of experience he or she has in medical malpractice law and the strengths and weaknesses in your case.
If you are the victim of medical malpractice, discuss the details about your case with a qualified medical malpractice lawyer.