How to Check if Your Doctor Has a History of Medical Malpractice

Whenever we feel unwell, one of the best decisions is to see a doctor immediately. Our physicians are experts in their fields, and we trust them to exercise utmost care when caring for us. Unfortunately, there are numerous rotten eggs in the profession with negligent disregard for our health and lives. As such, many Maryland medical malpractice lawyers have had to file medical malpractice suits and claims on behalf of numerous victims. In light of this, you must be careful of the doctor you visit when you have a health concern. If you wish to change your physician, you must be sure that you’re choosing the right one. Fortunately, there are effective ways to verify a doctor’s professional history. You can look them up and get information about past and present misconduct complaints against them. You can also discover if they’ve been disciplined for medical negligence in the course of their careers. In this article, we’ll show you how to research your physician’s medical history and what to do with your findings.

Common Examples of Medical Negligence in Maryland

Common ways medical practitioners engage in medical malpractice include:

• Medication Errors

This happens when your doctor prescribes the wrong medication for your condition.

• Misdiagnosis and Failure to Diagnose

Some negligent doctors may diagnose you wrongfully or fail to diagnose your illness at all.

• Surgical Mistakes

Sometimes, doctors carry out unnecessary surgeries that end up causing health complications for their patients. In some other instances, some doctors forget external objects in the patient’s body after surgery.

• Premature Discharge

This happens when a doctor releases a patient that still needs observation in the hospital.

How to Check Out a Maryland Doctor for Medical Malpractice

It’s difficult to know your doctor’s medical history by merely consulting with them. To be sure that you’re choosing the best Maryland physician for your case, you must do your due diligence.

• Maryland’s Medical Licensing Board

Maryland’s Board of Physicians (MBP) is responsible for licensing doctors to practice in the state. You can quickly look your doctor up on their website by inputting their names or license numbers. If there have been any disciplinary actions against your physician, you’ll find them there.

• Online Investigations

You can do an online search by googling the doctor’s name alongside some keywords relevant to your search. For example, you could search for “Dr. Tom Peter” + “malpractice,” “discipline,” ” lawsuit,” “sanction,” etc. However, be sure to verify the results from your search. Many doctors may go by the same name, so ensure that you’re mistaking health providers.

• Maryland’s Health Claims Office

Whenever there’s a Maryland medical negligence lawsuit, it must first pass through the state’s Health Care Alternative Dispute Resolution Office.  You can visit their office and peruse their filings when necessary.

• Maryland Judiciary Case Search

Asides from medical malpractice, your physician may have been cited for misdemeanor charges in the past. They may have also had some civil suits against them. Finding out about your doctor’s history can help you form an opinion on them. You can find those out through Maryland’s judiciary case search.

• Federation of State Medical Boards

The FSMB (Federation of State Medical Boards) lists all state medical board websites. If you’re in Maryland but your physician practices in another state, the list will come in handy. On the FSMB’s website, you can check the states where your doctors maintain their licenses. You can also check their board certifications, educational qualifications and verify any complaints against them.

What to Do if You Find Out Your Doctor Has a History of Medical Malpractice Claims in Maryland?

It can be unpleasant to discover that your physician has had actions against them in the past. However, that doesn’t automatically make them bad doctors. Anyone can file a malpractice suit against a medical practitioner for even flimsy reasons. Sometimes, grieving claimants may file a malpractice suit over a loved one’s demise even if it wasn’t the doctor’s fault. To avoid making the wrong decision, it’s best to consider the outcome over the number of malpractice complaints.

Contact an Experienced Maryland Medical Negligence Attorney Immediately

There are many ways to find out about your medical practitioner’s history of malpractice claims. Unfortunately, many people find out much later when they’ve already fallen victim to medical negligence. Regardless of your cases’ specifics, if you discover that your physician’s negligence caused your injuries, contact our attorneys immediately. Our medical negligence lawyers will listen to you and assess your chances of success in a malpractice claim.   You only have a short time to file your medical negligence cases. So, dial our law firm for a free consultation right now.