If you sustain injuries while under the care of a hospital or physician, it may be appropriate to file a medical malpractice claim. These claims cover situations like delayed diagnosis, misdiagnosis and surgical errors.
Taking the following steps can help ensure that you file your claim in a timely manner.
1. Contact the person responsible for the error
According to FindLaw, the first thing you should do before filing a medical malpractice claim is contact the person responsible for the injury. You may want to ask him or her the following questions to clarify the situation:
- What went wrong that lead to your injury?
- Is your injury something that he or she can fix?
- Is he or she willing to perform services to help you recover?
- If so, will he or she charge you for these services?
2. Contact the licensing board
This step is helpful if the responsible party cannot or will not help your situation. While contacting the appropriate licensing board will not help you recover damages, it will alert the board of the malpractice. The board may wish to investigate the person responsible to determine if any additional actions are necessary.
3. Understand Missouri’s statute of limitations
Medical malpractice cases in Missouri have a statute of limitations of two years. While this may seem like a long time to file a claim, you must also consider how long it will take you to heal from the injury. It is important to file a claim as soon as you can to avoid missing the deadline.
Following these steps may help you recover damages related to your injury.