Not every patient who is displeased with their podiatrist or the outcome of their treatment is entitled to make a claim of podiatric malpractice. If you are uncertain about whether you’ve been a victim of podiatric malpractice, the best thing to do is contact a well-respected lawyer in this particular field. If you live in New York, The Law Firm of Lawrence M. Karam is the place to call.
Lawrence Karam has decades of experience litigating cases of podiatric malpractice and a track record of successful outcomes. He also has a well-earned reputation for being compassionate as well as highly skilled. He will realistically evaluate the viability of your claim, and once you become his client, he will charge you no attorneys’ fees (even for your initial consultation) until he recovers damages.
Red Flags That You May Be a Victim of Podiatry Malpractice
This blog is designed to help you clarify whether you may be a victim of podiatric malpractice. Following is a list of red flags that may indicate you have a reasonable claim:
- Podiatric treatment has not improved or has worsened your condition. This may indicate that you were misdiagnosed, treated with the wrong medication, or even undergone an unnecessary surgical procedure.
- Your podiatrist has not paid serious attention to your concerns or, even worse,has not asked for your input or response.
- Your podiatrist has not taken a full medical history or has disregarded a pre-existing condition, serious allergy or potential drug interaction.
- Your podiatrist never got your informed consent for an invasive or surgical procedure, resulting in a personal injury you were never warned might occur. The duty of care owed to you by your podiatrist includes providing you with a full explanation of any proposed treatment or surgery, including mention of any potential risks.
- Your podiatrist made a severe surgical error, such as operating on the wrong toe, severing a nerve, or neglecting to monitor your vital signs during or immediately after an operation.
- Your podiatrist prescribed and/or administered anesthesia improperly. This can be very dangerous, resulting in permanent brain damage or even wrongful death. Anesthesia errors may include: dosage problems, inadequately controlled IV flow, improper documentation or unintentional administration of anesthetics.
- Your podiatrist did not properly sterilize the surgical site or surgical tools, resulting in your developing a local or systemic infection with alarming symptoms and possible long-term consequences.
- Your podiatrist has performed surgery that one or more other podiatrists believe was unnecessary, for example repair of a hammertoe that was not bothering you and that was recommended to you as an operation to maintain mobility rather than as a cosmetic procedure.
- Your podiatrist did not order routine standard tests, e.g. X-rays or ultrasounds that a competent doctor would have administered prior to diagnosis and treatment.
- You are experiencing new symptoms (excluding expected postsurgical pain) after
treatment, such as numbness or tingling, possibly indicating that your doctor damaged
a nerve while operating on you.
- Your podiatrist failed to refer you to another specialist for observable problems,
like an irregular heartbeat, abnormal glucose levels, breathing difficulty, or the possible
presence of a tumor on the foot or ankle.
Lawrence Karam will have to fully investigate the evidence surrounding your case to determine whether you have in fact been a victim of podiatric negligence. Nevertheless, the above indications are a good place to start.
Contact Our Preeminent Podiatric Malpractice Attorney Today
If you have suffered serious harm as a result of the care you received from your podiatrist, you may well be able to receive substantial damages for loss of income, reparative medical costs, and pain and suffering. Contact The Law Firm of Lawrence M. Karam to find out how.