Not Satisfied with the Care You or a Loved One Received?
Consider Reporting the Doctor/Hospital to the State Medical Board of Ohio
We receive a lot of calls about potential malpractice cases. It is not because people are sue happy. Primarily, it is because the practice of medicine is no different than many other professions. Some doctors are excellent, some are rushed and occasionally make mistakes, some have poor bedside manners, and some are not competent for whatever reason. And sometimes, patients simply fall through the cracks due to poor communication of test results, and other office mistakes.
Even if you, or a loved one, are the victim of a medical mistake (known as medical negligence or medical malpractice), it does not automatically mean that you have a case worth pursuing through a lawsuit. First and foremost, recent changes in Ohio law have made it much more difficult and expensive to bring a lawsuit against a physician, even if they are clearly negligent. In 2003, our Ohio Legislature, in response to a multi-million dollar lobbying campaign by physicians group, hospitals, and malpractice insurance companies, passed arbitrary limits or "caps" on what patients can recover in lawsuits even if the doctor or hospital was negligent.
Secondly, medical malpractice cases are extremely expensive to investigate and pursue. With very few exceptions, expert must be consulted to review records and determine if malpractice even occurred, and it can cost thousands of dollars just to determine if a preventable medical mistake occurred.
Finally, doctors win close to 80% of all malpractice lawsuits. Doctors and their malpractice insurance companies have spent millions of dollars in Ohio and nationwide on a well orchestrated public relations campaign, and as a result, a majority of people believe that there are too many lawsuits, too many frivolous lawsuits, and that jury verdicts are excessively high. None of this is true (and we have the statistics and facts to prove it), but many of the same people who believe these perceptions eventually sit on juries and bring these beliefs with them to court (now you know why doctors win close to 80% of all cases).
We must consider all these realities in deciding to accept or reject any case. But that does not mean you are without rights if we decline your case. If you are not satisfied with a physician's or hospital's care, you should be aware that you can report what happened to THE STATE MEDICAL BOARD OF OHIO.
Here are some highlights of the complaint process:
- It's free
- It costs nothing to institute a complaint.
- It can be done with a letter or a phone call, or it can even be done online.
- If you are computer savvy, there is a wealth of information online as to now the complaint process works. Just go to the Ohio Medical Board's web site and click on the "consumers" section.
Other contact information:
30 E. Board Street, 3rd Floor
Columbus, OH 43215-6127
Phone: (614) 466-3934
Fax: (614) 728-5946
Helpful Tips:
- Be concise with your complaint. Avoid rambling and including unnecessary or irrelevant information.
- Be professional. Avoid personal attacks or demeaning comments.
- Type your complaint letter if you can.
- Include any medical records if you have them.
- You can't be held liable for making a complaint. As long as your complaint is made in good faith, and not for purposes of simply harassing a medical provider, you are protected from liability under Ohio law.
Many people we talk to about a potential malpractice case tell us: "I don't want this to happen to anyone else." If you feel this way, you owe it to yourself and the community to make your complaint heard. Perhaps your situation was simply a bad result that no reasonable doctor or hospital could anticipate. Or, you might not be the first person to make a complaint against the doctor or hospital involved, and your complaint may be the one where action is finally taken to make our medical care safer.
Remember: If nobody complains, this will guarantee that nothing will change! We hope you find this information useful.
Disclaimer
This is for educational purposes only and is not intended to give legal advice, so please do not rely upon it for that purpose. For more information regarding the State Medical Board of Ohio, please contact them directly.
