While it would be nice if you could always trust doctors to make the right diagnoses and treatments, sometimes there are some bad apples in the bunch who don’t do things by the book. Sometimes, a misdiagnosis or problematic course of treatment can be a minor inconvenience. However, in other scenarios, it can be a major problem and lead to further complications or even death. Medical malpractice is an unfortunate reality in the world, and it’s important that you know what your rights are and how to protect against them.
One area in which medical malpractice is actually surprisingly common has to do with the birthing process. Even though births occur quite routinely, there are still mistakes that can be made during the delivery process. This is true whether you’re delivering your baby naturally or having a C-section, so don’t think that one birth method vs another necessarily is more likely to protect you from medical malpractice. If you’re a fan of sports at all, you’ve likely heard that the strongest offense is a good defense. This is why it’s crucial that you understand the ins and outs of medical malpractice and have a clear defense should you be faced with a potential malpractice case. This is even more important if you yourself are an OB-GYN or obstetrician since these sorts of claims can be very costly and emotionally charged. Read on for a few tips to help keep you focused in the midst of preparing for the possibility of needing to defend yourself and your practice against malpractice surrounding birth injuries.
Consider taking out a malpractice insurance policy.
One of the ways that many doctors prepare for the potential costs associated with birth injuries or complications is by taking out malpractice insurance. While you may trust the team working with you, as a gynecologist or OB-GYN, if you need to defend against a medical malpractice claim, medical malpractice insurers can help you cover some of the costs associated with the birth injury and its complications. Of course, taking out a malpractice insurance policy involves talking with different insurance companies to learn the ins and outs of their policies first. After all, if heaven forbid you have to defend a medical malpractice claim with your insurer for a complication that occurs during birth, you’ll want to make sure that your medical malpractice insurer is capable of handling the claim.
As such, it’s a good idea to read up on how OB-GYN malpractice insurers differ from other kinds of medical malpractice insurers, and factor that into your budget. It’s crucial that you’re able to pay for your OB GYN malpractice insurance cost as a practice if you want to be able to continue practicing in the face of a negligence case since they can be quite expensive and time-consuming.
If you need to defend against charges, work with professionals.
Retaining a qualified and reliable legal team is crucial any time that you may need to mount a defense against legal charges, and birth injury lawsuits are no exception. Whether the birth injury claim is made against a member of your medical staff in the field of prenatal care or the neonatal intensive care unit, having a strong legal defense can ensure that everything is handled in a timely manner. Having a reliable attorney on retainer that you pay attorney fees for is thus equally important to include in your practice’s budget, just like medical malpractice insurance.
If you operate in Cook County in the state of Illinois, for example, it can be a good idea to go with local professionals who understand the laws surrounding personal injury cases and the delivery process. There are plenty of high-caliber Chicago birth injury attorneys working in the city to help represent you should you need to mount a defense against a wrongful death claim.