Think about your last visit to the doctor’s office. When you were talking to your doctor and trying to describe your symptoms or any medical issues you were facing, did they listen to you? Or did they interrupt you?
It’s an important question to ask because studies have found that doctors actually do tend to interrupt their patients rather quickly. One study found that the average was just 11 seconds. Doctors are often busy, rushing from one appointment to the next, and they may be tempted to interrupt patients and try to rush through appointments, rather than giving them the attention they deserve.
Why could this be medical malpractice?
The doctor interrupting you on its own is not medical malpractice. But it could become a significant issue if it impacts your health.
For example, perhaps the doctor didn’t listen to your explanation of your symptoms. They just heard the first two or three symptoms and then interrupted you after a few seconds. They made a quick diagnosis that later turned out to be wrong.
If this happens, you could suffer severe harm. Maybe you were having a heart attack, for instance, but a doctor told you it was just indigestion and that you should go home and sleep. You could have severe ramifications, and this type of medical mistake can even be fatal.
Your legal options
Patients deserve to have doctors that listen to them and provide proper treatment. If you don’t believe that this was the treatment that you received and you suffered harm as a result, it may be medical malpractice and you need to know what legal options you have to seek financial compensation.
