We must implicitly trust doctors to tend to our health when we are injured or ill. Fortunately, physicians take oaths and face strict regulations to make sure they do no harm to their patients. But promises are only as perfect as the people making them, and no one is perfect. Although no one wants to think about it, even doctors make mistakes.
Members of the various branches of the military have not even had the ability to sue for medical malpractice when they are misdiagnosed or receive the wrong treatments. The U.S. Senate just changed that by approving a long-awaited provision of the National Defense Authorization Act providing for a solution to this problem.
Once signed by the President, the law allocates $400 million to allow the Department of Defense to investigate medical malpractice and pay out claims to service members and veterans if military physicians were responsible for their medical problems.
“It’s just an amazing feeling overall right now. I don’t have the words to describe it,” said a North Carolina veteran who was involved in promoting the bill. “It’s a victory for everybody. For all the service members across the board.”
Victims of medical malpractice, whether they are veterans or civilians, now have the undeniable right to make a claim for compensation to help them with recovery. Civilians also have the ability to sue in civil court for damages related to their medical costs, such as pain and emotional distress.
An attorney can help work out if a claim is the best way to deal with suspected malpractice. No one should have to face this problem without the right representation.