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Physician Malpractice: A Doctor’s Duty of Care in Cleveland (Part A)

When you or someone you love is under the care of a physician, the doctor has a duty to provide reasonable care. The physician’s responsibility to a patient is known as doctor's duty of care. A violation of this could lead to the pursuit of a physician malpractice claim.

Compensation may be available if you or someone you love was the victim of malpractice. Medical Ohio facilities —such as Cleveland Clinic or Metro Health—could be held liable for injuries caused by a doctor. If a duty of care was not provided and it led to serious, life-threatening or fatal injuries, a Cleveland medical malpractice lawyer may be able to help.

Malpractice: Medical Ohio Doctor’s Duty of Care

Doctors are not required by law to accept a patient, no matter their condition. The initial establishment of a patient-doctor relationship is voluntary and mutually agreed upon. Although the patient can end that relationship, the doctor has an obligation to fulfill the doctor duty of care.

In other words, doctors must provide reasonable medical treatment to their patients. Reasonable is considered to be care that another doctor under similar circumstances likely would provide.

For instance, if a patient is complaining of chest pain, it would be reasonable to expect that the doctor would first rule out a heart attack. Appropriate tests should be run, rather than assuming the patient simply pulled a chest muscle.

If a doctor does not provide reasonable care to a patient, and it results in injuries or illness, this could lead to the filing of a physician malpractice claim. Contact a Cleveland medical malpractice lawyer to help determine the validity of this type of claim. An attorney can also help establish if the doctor may be held liable and what types of damages you may be entitled to seek.

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