Being hurt by a doctor can be devastating. Healthcare professionals are meant to exercise due diligence in offering you and your loved ones care. Sometimes, their actions or inactions can result in injury, complications, or even prove fatal.

If you believe the care you received was inadequate, led to injury, or prevented you from receiving timely care, you may be entitled to pursue a medical malpractice case in the state of California. If you’re wondering what your options are, here’s what to do next.

Obtain Your Medical Records

Immediately after believing there to be medical malpractice, ask for a copy of your medical records. This can prove instrumental in establishing a claim as there will be an unbiased record of your diagnoses, treatments received, and procedures administered.

Find a New Doctor 

Continuing to receive care from the healthcare provider who you believe conducted medical malpractice can not only be damaging to your physical health but may also hurt your legal claim. A new doctor may also be able to provide, in writing, medical opinions regarding the treatment you received from your previous provider.

Hire an Attorney 

Though it may be obvious to you that medical malpractice occurred, navigating the legal system to collect fair compensation may be difficult. In the state of California, you must file a claim within three years of the date of the injury or within a year of discovering the injury, whichever comes first.

In essence, if you are aware of an injury, for example, if your surgeon performed on the wrong limb, then you have a year to file a medical malpractice claim. However, if your doctor misdiagnosed your illness, and you were not made aware until two years later, you fall within the three-year limit.

The time frame limits can understandably be confusing for someone inexperienced with medical malpractice law. That is why hiring an attorney is vital. They know what is necessary to fight your claim and can also help retrieve essential documents to support your case.

The Cifarelli Law Firm Knows Medical Malpractice

The Cifarelli Law Firm has the experience and knowledge to aid your medical malpractice claim. Having served Irving, California, and surrounding areas since 1979, we believe in providing support and help. As part of that belief, we won’t collect unless you receive the compensation you deserve.

Medical malpractice can be devastating emotionally, physically, and financially. Allow our professional and experienced attorneys to help. Call today at 949-502-8600 to request a free consultation.