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Did failing to meet the standard of care lead to your suffering?

Before you underwent a necessary medical procedure, it may have taken you a considerable amount of time to deal with the nerves and anxiety associated with your situation. Medical issues and treatments make many Arizona residents understandably apprehensive, and for some, the idea of going under the knife or facing other procedures can prove too daunting. However, because you understood the necessity of the procedure, you swallowed your fear and moved forward.

Though you may have felt proud of yourself for not allowing your anxiety to hold you back, you may experience a sense of dread after learning that something went wrong during the procedure. Unfortunately, medical mistakes do take place, and the fear of this outcome may have contributed to your initial anxieties. Now, you may find yourself looking for ways to address the situation and to determine whether your physician followed the standard of care.

Standard of care

Various situations may have their own standards for care. When it comes to addressing a medical case, the standard of care is typically determined by looking at the doctor's actions. If he or she carried out actions that the medical community would expect for the given situation, then he or she likely met the standard of care. However, if he or she made negligent mistakes or otherwise acted in an unexpected or unacceptable manner, that physician likely did not meet the acceptable standard of care.

Understanding expectations

In many cases of medical malpractice, expert testimony is often utilized in order to determine what the expectations of the medical community would be for a particular scenario. This means that doctors or other medical professionals in a similar field or with similar expertise may need to testify as to whether your doctor's actions met the standard of care.

However, a "conspiracy of silence" exists in which many medical professionals do not wish to testify against others in their field. Many doctors across the country consult and generally communicate with one another, and as a result, someone who may have expert information may not want to provide information that could potentially work against a colleague. That does not mean, though, that no experts will be willing to testify in your case.

Filing a medical malpractice claim

Because many factors need proving in a medical malpractice case, the situation could seem overwhelming from the start. With the right information and assistance, you could feel more confident in moving forward with your case to pursue compensation for damages.