The Need for Medical Expert Witnesses

by Kevin Smith Author

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in healthcare occupations is expected to grow 18 percent from 2016 to 2026. This is expected to add about 2.3 million new jobs, which is much faster than other occupational groups. A big part of this projected growth is mainly because of an aging population, which in turn leads to a greater demand for healthcare services. There are hundreds of specialties in the field of medicine, and the doctors, nurses, anesthesiologists, and all other health providers need ongoing education. If you become ill or need surgery, depending on the seriousness of your particular illness, or condition, you might want to consider getting a referral and a second opinion to be certain you are getting the proper treatment and best possible care.

Malpractice

Malpractice is a frightening situation that can happen to anyone. According to figures compiled by a private group, the Federation of State Medical Boards, 2,971 disciplinary actions were taken in 1992. With 623,378 licensed doctors, that means there were 5 such actions for every 1,000 doctors. Several studies involving thousands of medical records have shown 99 percent of patients receive adequate care. With 30 million hospital admissions each year, 1 percent represents 300,000 cases of negligent care. That number means there are more than 800 cases of malpractice every day. An incompetent physician can face disciplinary action from the hospital where he or she works. The hospital can revoke a doctor’s right to practice there, but that seldom happens. The state medical board can revoke a doctor’s license, but hospitals rarely share their problems with the board. That is a staggering number of inadequate doctors practicing medicine.

Lawsuits

There are many reasons why patients or their families sue the doctor, hospital, or other providers. Reasons such as failure to diagnose the condition properly, complications from treatment or surgery, poor outcome, patient suffering, medical errors, poor documentation of patient instructions and education, failure to follow safety procedures, or wrongful death, are all justifiable lawsuits, if negligence is the reason and it can be proven. A lawyer who specializes in malpractice should be contacted in a timely manner, and medical expert witnesses need to be sought. Malpractice is complex, and the statute of limitations, depending on your state, is two years from the date that the malpractice was committed. The doctor or hospital needs to be notified that you intend to sue as soon as possible.

Witnesses

The evidence of medical expert witnesses is extremely important, and these experts are usually well-versed in medical law. The expert medical witness is a highly-specialized professional with exemplary knowledge and experience in their field, and can give reliable opinions to a court pertaining to a particular issue in a lawsuit. The expert witness is usually well-known in their field, and sometimes published in medical publications. They have the knowledge to break down the technical terminology so a layperson can understand the issues of the case. The expert witness cannot have been involved in treating the claimant.