Mental illnesses affect a large population around the globe. More than 50% of Americans will be diagnosed with a mental illness at some point in life. Despite how common it has become, stigma, discrimination and neglect still plague mental illness. That’s why seeking professional help for many patients can be difficult. But what’s worse is when the patients who do seek help, end up becoming victims of psychiatric neglect. where psychiatric malpractice lawyers can come into play and help.
Maybe you or a loved one turned to a psychiatrist to help you recover from trauma. To help you deal with anxiety or other mental conditions. But instead of finding the help you needed, you are treated with neglect and abuse. You may find that psychiatric malpractice lawyers can help you receive the justice and compensation you deserve. Contact the team of Hampton & King to find out more information.
What Is Psychiatric Malpractice
When most people hear the words medical malpractice, they have this generic idea of what that might look like. A washcloth left inside a body after surgery. The wrong leg amputated. Late stage cancer going undiagnosed.
While those are all very real scenarios and still occur in the medical field, other forms of malpractice do occur. Psychiatric malpractice is when a psychiatrist is neglectful towards their patient. This can range from their behavior towards the patient to issues in treatment. Here’s a simple question to ask yourself: will it benefit me to speak to psychiatric malpractice lawyers? If the answer is yes,you might have dealt with malpractice.
Psychiatric Malpractice Lawyers Can Identify Neglect
Other forms of medical malpractice are often easier to identify, it’s true. Many victims of surgical malpractice, for example, understand what went wrong. Psychiatric neglect is much more difficult to identify. That’s why psychiatric malpractice lawyers are so important.
A psychiatrist can be neglectful if they:
- Fail to identify/diagnose a mental illness
- Share a patient’s information without consent
- Prescribe incorrect medication
- Prematurely release a patient undergoing treatment or evaluation
- Don’t recognize the warning signs of self/harm or suicide
- Physically or emotionally abuse a patient
- Engage in sexual relations with a patient
- Sexually assault a patient
- Fail to evaluate or treat a patient
Discussing Malpractice As A Psychiatric Patient
Even in the 21st century, mental illness is surrounded by stigma. That’s why seeking mental care is an obstacle for many patients. What’s more, proving negligence can be an uphill battle as well.
Psychiatric malpractice lawyers can tell you this: many cases are never even reported because the victims are often unstable. They’re not certain of their own mental health condition so recognizing neglect can be difficult.
And if they do know they’ve experienced malpractice, their complaints are often dismissed. Unfortunately, sometimes family members don’t take the victims seriously.
How Psychiatric Malpractice Lawyers Can Help You
Let’s say you sought the help of a psychiatrist. You didn’t get the treatment you assumed you would. And on top of that, you feel like perhaps there was malpractice at play. Even if you’re not 100% certain, contacting psychiatric malpractice lawyers is important. They can help determine if your psychiatrist acted neglectfully. And they’ll let you know whether or not you’ve got a case.
Sure you can file a claim on your own. But that may not get you anywhere. Having an experienced psychiatric malpractice lawyer will ensure your case is heard and you receive the compensation you deserve. A lawyer can do all the legwork – you and your family have already been through enough.
Obtaining A Psychiatric Malpractice Lawyer
Filing a medical malpractice case can be complicated and costly. Going up against clinics and psychiatrists is no easy task.
A psychiatric malpractice lawyer specializes in this area. They have enough experience to win trials and obtain settlements. Psychiatric malpractice lawyers also have access to medical experts who can provide testimony if needed.
Wondering how you can hire a psychiatric malpractice lawyer? Here’s how:
- Contact a medical malpractice firm in your state
- Ask if they have experience with psychiatric malpractice cases
- Inquire if they do contingency-based work- you won’t pay unless your case is won
- Schedule your initial consultation. Make sure to bring all information associated with your case. This includes bills, list of prescriptions, test results, etc.
Advocating for yourself in the health care field is so important. And having the right legal team with psychiatric malpractice lawyers by your side means you have a better chance to unveil a psychiatrist’s malpractice against you. And perhaps even other mental health patients. Contact Hampton & King today to discuss your case.
