There are few medical professions as controversial as a chiropractor. They have fans that insist that they couldn’t live without their services due to chronic back pain. Others feel like they are not actually medical professionals that have a verifiable benefit to those with back problems.
Whatever side of the fence you fall on, there is no doubt that most chiropractors are in the field to help people heal and feel better so they can live their best life.
However, just as in any other medical practice there are chiropractors that don’t do their due diligence and cross the line into malpractice. You could find yourself with a back problem made worse through their negligence.
In this article, I will go over what to do if this happens to you after your visits to a chiropractor.
Was it malpractice?
Before you contact a personal injury law firm you need to do a quick evaluation and decide if it was negligent and could be considered malpractice when your injury got worse after visiting a chiropractor.
Remember, there are no guarantees when voting a chiropractor that your injury is going to be healed or in some cases not get worse. Was your injury bound to get worse even if you hadn’t visited the chiropractor? Did the chiropractor do everything according to the proper protocol to treat your injury?
Malpractice is not always obvious and sometimes what you think is negligent may not be.
Failure to diagnose the condition properly
Something that could be considered malpractice is a failure to diagnose an injury that requires immediate attention. This doesn’t necessarily include a misdiagnosis done in good faith. What it means is that some injuries may require immediate attention from another type of doctor or it can get worse.
A chiropractor has a duty to put the health of the patient first. If a patient is exhibiting signs of a healthcare emergency that require immediate intervention but decides to wait and see then this is a clear-cut case of malpractice.
Lack of information to give consent
It is a patient’s right to make decisions regarding their care but it has to be based on accurate and thorough information. The chiropractor is required to not only get consent for procedures but to provide the necessary information to make the right decision.
Any complications or risks from a procedure needs to be clearly communicated so a patient can decide if they should go through with the procedure. Likewise, they should understand what the alternatives are what is involved in them if they opt for another course of action.
Negligent manipulation of the body
There are some procedures that should not be done to your body based on the type of injury that you have. Most chiropractors know and understand this, but some may decide to do them anyway.
This can be catastrophic to your healing process by exacerbating your injury. This is a clear case of malpractice that any lawyer in the country will take on your behalf.
