Many people who suffer muscle or joint pain, severe headaches, and other afflictions are turning away from medical interventions and seeking more holistic solutions. Chiropractic treatment is an increasingly popular choice.
However, chiropractic treatment is not without risk. When a chiropractor is poorly trained, overly aggressive, or unskilled, a patient could suffer severe harm or even death. A patient could hold a negligent chiropractor accountable for the harm they inflicted by bringing a malpractice claim against them.
When you believe a chiropractor has injured you, do not hesitate to reach out to our team at Berkowitz Hanna. An experienced Connecticut chiropractor malpractice lawyer can help you obtain financial compensation for the effects of negligent chiropractic care.
A chiropractor physically manipulates, or adjusts, the spine and neck to relieve pain, increase range of motion, improve circulation, and alleviate nerve compression. The treatment is helpful to many patients, but unskillful or contraindicated manipulation can cause significant injuries.
Poor chiropractic care can cause an increase in pain rather than pain relief. Chiropractic malpractice can result in broken bones, nerve damage, herniated disks, and spinal cord injuries that could cause paralysis. Chiropractic manipulation of the neck can damage the aorta and lead to stroke.
Whenever a patient suspects that chiropractic treatment worsened a condition or caused a new problem, they should immediately consult a medical doctor and an attorney. The doctor could offer treatments to improve the patient’s condition, and the medical record they generate could be evidence tying the injuries to the chiropractic treatment. A Connecticut attorney can use the medical record to establish the chiropractor’s negligence.
Medical negligence is a failure to use the degree of judgment and skill that a similarly trained and credentialed healthcare provider would use in similar circumstances. An injured patient must demonstrate how the chiropractor’s care was negligent, using specific provable allegations.
Some forms of chiropractic negligence include the following:
Performing unnecessary chiropractic treatment could also be grounds for a malpractice lawsuit if the treatment caused an injury.
An injured patient also must prove that the harm they suffered is a direct result of the chiropractor’s negligence. A Connecticut attorney can use expert testimony from both medical doctors and chiropractors to establish the connection between the manipulation and the injury.
Connecticut tries to prevent frivolous malpractice lawsuits by imposing some procedural steps that are not necessary in other personal injury lawsuits. The most important one is the requirement that an injured patient (plaintiff) establish that there is reason for a good-faith belief that malpractice occurred before filing the lawsuit.
Connecticut General Statutes §52-190a requires an attorney to obtain a written statement from a medical expert confirming that there is reason to suspect medical negligence may have caused the patient’s injuries. The medical expert must be qualified to offer an opinion on the provider whose care is at issue and have significant experience and expertise in the field.
When the plaintiff’s attorney files the complaint with the court to begin the lawsuit, they must attach a certification that they have made a good faith inquiry and are satisfied that grounds to bring a negligence lawsuit against the chiropractor exist. An injured patient should consult a malpractice attorney as soon as they discover their injury to ensure there is sufficient time to complete the inquiry before filing a lawsuit.
If a chiropractor’s negligent treatment left you in pain, reduced your function, or caused a stroke or paralysis, you deserve compensation. Chiropractors are licensed medical professionals, and their treatment must meet a certain standard.
A Connecticut chiropractor malpractice lawyer can help you obtain the compensation you deserve. Reach out today to schedule your free consultation with a dedicated member of our team.
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