The time immediately following a truck accident is usually fraught with danger, fear, and severe trauma for the surviving victims. Victims may be unconscious, severely injured, and rushed to an emergency room. Some victims may be declared fatalities at the scene. If you have survived a trucking accident, however, the immediate aftermath of a trucking accident is vitally important. When you’re rushed to a hospital for emergency care, you will often need the very best possible care in order to recover fully. The diagnosis and treatment you are given immediately after an accident can determine your overall recovery. Unfortunately, the hectic pace of an emergency room as well as the rapid emergency treatment usually required after a trucking accident can allow medical errors and misdiagnosis to occur. If you want to avoid a medical malpractice lawsuit and the complications that medical errors can result in, make sure that you:
1) Take good notes. As soon as you are able to after a trucking accident, start documentation. Asked for copies of your medical records, and make sure that you note any diagnoses, treatments, medications, and doctor names that you come into contact with. Make sure that you understand what you are being diagnosed with, your prognosis, the basis for the diagnoses, and the treatments being suggested. If you have any questions or if there seems to be a conflict in the information you are being given from different health-care providers, make sure that you ask. Asking questions is a good way to prevent medical errors.
2) Have a health care advocate. Because you will likely be in poor condition immediately after your trucking accident, it is a good idea to have a health-care advocate by your side. A health-care advocate can be a friend or family member who can be with you during treatment, conversations with healthcare professionals, and who can spend time with you in a hospital. A health-care advocate not only provides you with support, but he or she can also take down details of treatments, medications you’re given, and healthcare professionals you speak to. This can give you a clear record of your treatment and allow you to pinpoint and prevent errors.
3) Insist on specialists and a second opinion. Trust your instincts. If you are being given a diagnosis that you do not agree with or diagnosis that you are suspicious about, ask to speak to a specialist and seek a second opinion. Be especially certain to ask a second opinion if you are being diagnosed with a serious injury or are being recommended for treatments that are very expensive or that carry high risks.
4) Hire a good Florida personal injury attorney. A good Florida personal injury attorney is essential to your health care team. A good attorney can investigate the causes of your accident, can advise you of your rights, and can ensure that you have the financial resources you are entitled to by law. This can help ensure that you get the best medical treatment possible. If a medical mistake has been made, an attorney can investigate this and make sure that you receive all the help you are entitled to under the law.