At Morgan & Morgan, our attorneys have decades of experience helping Floridians recover compensation for injuries sustained as a result of chiropractic malpractice. A chiropractor’s care is expected to meet or exceed standards of care accepted in the medical community. When this standard is not met, injured victims can face unexpected hardships and difficulties. Our attorneys understand the emotional, physical, and financial issues that can accompany injuries related to negligent chiropractic care, and are committed to recovering compensation for our clients’ losses.
If you or a loved one has been injured by a chiropractor, our chiropractic malpractice attorneys may be able to help you recover compensation for your injuries. To learn more about your eligibility for legal recourse, please fill out our free case review form to have an attorney review your claim. There is a time limit for filing chiropractor malpractice cases, so it is important to contact an attorney as soon as the injury is discovered.
What is Chiropractor Malpractice?
When a patient is injured as a result of a chiropractor’s failure to follow the accepted standard of care within the chiropractic profession, the chiropractor may be liable for any resulting damages.
Common examples of chiropractor malpractice include:
Negligent Manipulation of the Body: Negligent manipulation of the body occurs when the chiropractor makes adjustments to a patient’s body that either cause new injuries or make an existing injury worse. Chiropractic adjustments can cause a number of severe medical problems including herniated discs, broken ribs, neck damage, nerve damage, sciatic nerve pain, lumber pain, and neurological damage. In addition, patients who are pregnant may go into premature labor as a result of a chiropractor’s negligent manipulation of the body.
Chiropractic Induced Stroke: A chiropractic-induced stroke occurs when an artery to the brain ruptures or becomes blocked because of a chiropractor’s manipulation of the neck. Many times, the patient is unaware the stroke was caused by chiropractor negligence, because the stroke may not occur until weeks after the chiropractic visit.
Failure to Diagnosis a Medical Condition Requiring Immediate Attention: As a medical professional, a chiropractor has a duty of care to their patients. This duty can be breached if a chiropractor fails to properly diagnose a patient’s underlying medical condition, thereby failing to treat an urgent or important medical issue. If a patient is injured as a result of this breach, the chiropractor may be liable for resulting damages. For example, if a chiropractor fails to diagnose a patient’s blocked arteries, the patient may suffer severe injuries that could have been prevented had the chiropractor made the correct diagnosis.
Lack of Informed Consent: Prior to providing medical services, a chiropractor must inform the patient of all the risks and side effects associated with the recommended course of treatment. If a chiropractor treats a patient without first explaining the possible dangers, and the patient suffers an injury from the treatment, the chiropractor may be liable for malpractice.
Compensation in Chiropractic Malpractice Lawsuits
A chiropractor malpractice attorney may be able to help a victim recover damages for injuries suffered as a result of the negligent care. A chiropractor malpractice attorney may be able to help a patient recover compensation for:
Medical Bills: A patient may be compensated for any current and future medical bills incurred as a result of the injury.
Lost Wages: Patients may be compensated for wages they would have been entitled to had they not been injured. In some instances, injuries caused by chiropractor malpractice can be serious enough to prevent the patient from returning to work, requiring payment for loss of future wages.
Pain and Suffering: A patient who has been injured by chiropractor malpractice may be able to recover monetary damages to compensate for both8the physical pain and the mental anguish caused by the malpractice.
Punitive Damages: In certain cases, patients are entitled to receive punitive damages. Punitive damages are intended to help protect future patients by discouraging the negligent behavior that caused the harm.
If you or a loved one has been injured by chiropractor malpractice or negligence, you may be able to sue your doctor and recover compensation for your injuries. To have your claim reviewed by one of our attorneys, please fill out this free case evaluation form, at no cost or obligation to you.