When you think about medical malpractice, what comes to mind?
Most would understandably think about physical injuries or disability. However, there’s one costly side effect that most people often forget to consider: damage to patients’ mental health.
Negligent medical errors impact patients emotionally — and those effects can last for years.
So how does medical malpractice harm patients’ mental well-being? What options do victims have?
You’ll find the answers below.
In this article:
- Defining medical malpractice and common causes
- Psychological effects of malpractice
- PTSD, anxiety, & depression
- Challenges with long-term recovery
- Legal options for victims
Medical Malpractice Explained (+ Causes)
Medical malpractice occurs once doctors or other healthcare workers fail to uphold an appropriate standard of care and hurt a patient.
Diagnosis errors are the most common reason patients pursue malpractice lawsuits.
Nearly one-third of malpractice claims are due to misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis.
These errors are more common than you’d think. Certain conditions like cancer, infections, and vascular diseases are commonly misdiagnosed. These delayed diagnoses can have serious effects on patients’ overall health — which often leads to even more severe health issues.
If your loved one suffered due to misdiagnosis or delay, contact an Orange County medical malpractice attorney right away who handles misdiagnosis cases. A fit attorney can help you understand your legal options and choose how to move forward with your case.
Bear in mind that medical malpractice cases are very time sensitive. That means you’ll want to contact an attorney as soon as possible. Luckily, consultations are typically free.
The Psychological Effects of Malpractice (+ Mistakes)
It’s important to understand that medical malpractice tears patients’ lives apart emotionally as well.
When patients visit the doctor, they’re putting their trust in that provider to care for them and better their health.
Imagine how a patient feels when that trust is violated due to medical negligence that alters their health, livelihood, and even family dynamic. When patients are let down by the very people they trust with their lives, they struggle to come to terms with not only their physical injuries, but emotional trauma to follow.
Medical malpractice can severely impact patients mentally by causing:
- Increased anxiety over medical care
- Depression
- Distrust in medical professionals
- Stress over medical bills and damages
- Depression from lack of support
Plus, many victims are afraid to return to the doctor for fear of another error. Avoiding doctors only leads to worsened health conditions and triggers feelings of anxiety and depression.
PTSD, Anxiety, and Depression Following Malpractice
Medical malpractice causes far-reaching effects that go beyond the initial injury.
Many patients deal with long-term mental health conditions due to their negligent medical care.
Studies show that victims of medical malpractice are at a high danger of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following medical trauma. Similar to car accident victims or victims of physical violence, medical error victims can experience the onset of PTSD.
These are the most common mental health conditions for malpractice patients:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- PTSD
When experiencing symptoms of anxiety, depression, or PTSD following medical malpractice, victims can (and should) seek treatment.
Seeking mental health treatment isn’t weak. In fact, through therapy and medication, patients who have experienced medical malpractice can recover from their psychological trauma.
Why Recovering Can Be Difficult for Patients
Recovering from medical malpractice is tough.
Why?
Because in order to recover, patients have to rely on the medical system to fix the errors they caused.
Doctors make life-changing errors that affect patients’ physical and mental health. As a result, patients are left with a sense of fear and distrust towards the same people they need to help them.
Here’s a 2024 study from JAMA confirming the risk patients face:
“Among 162 patients transferred to intensive care units or who died, 23%…had a diagnosis that was either missed or delayed.”
Forty-one patients’ lives were impacted by delayed or misdiagnosis. Errors that could have been prevented harmed patients both physically and mentally.
Patients not only have to physically recover from their injuries, but also seek mental health support to recover from their trauma. Recovering from medical malpractice should look like:
- Seeking therapy
- Restoring patients’ trust in doctors
- Pursuing legal help to receive compensation for care
But the recovery process doesn’t end there. Patients should also have a strong support system to help them through their medical malpractice journey.
Legal Options for Medical Malpractice Victims
The best thing you can do for your malpractice injury is act.
Take action medically, yes. But you should also take legal action.
Why?
Medical trauma often leads to mental trauma. Depression, anxiety, and PTSD are real issues that many patients face following medical malpractice. Not only does this affect your health, but patients often face extreme medical bills.
Did you know that mental health trauma is something you can recover damages for?
That’s right. Mental anguish, pain, suffering, and lost quality of life are all factors that go into determining your compensation amount.
There’s a limited amount of time to file a lawsuit, so contacting an experienced Orange County medical malpractice attorney who concentrates in misdiagnosis cases right away is strongly advised. Seeking medical attention and mental health care as soon as possible is equally important.
Take these 4 steps to protect your rights as a victim:
- Document everything going forward (symptoms, dates, conversations, etc.)
- Seek mental health treatment to establish trauma
- Consult with a knowledgeable attorney immediately
- Don’t speak with insurance companies without your attorney present
As time passes, it’ll be more difficult to provide an attorney with evidence to support a claim. There’s a lot at stake, so don’t wait to seek legal help.
Final Thoughts on Medical Malpractice and Mental Health
Medical malpractice ruins lives. Not only do patients suffer from physical injuries caused by medical negligence, but patients endure severe mental trauma as well.
Both are equally important to a victim’s recovery. Victims deserve compensation for physical injuries, and mental ones.
Medical malpractice damages include:
- Past and future physical and medical care
- Past and future mental trauma and care
- Lost wages
- Pain and suffering
- Lost quality of life
Don’t forget that missed and delayed diagnosis is the leading cause of medical malpractice claims. If you know someone who suffered due to a diagnosis error, please share this article with them.