As previously discussed in this blog, medical mistakes can lead to dire consequences for its victims and their families. When healthcare professionals do not meet the accepted standard of care while treating a patient, the result can be unnecessary medical expenses and longer hospital stays, as well as disability or even death. For these reasons, Connecticut takes the issue of medical malpractice very seriously.
One illustration of this is the fact that the Connecticut Department of Public Heath maintains a website containing profiles of every doctor practicing in the state. On this site, physicians are required to keep not only their biographical information updated but also disclose any malpractice judgements, settlements or awards to a complainant that occurred within the past 10 years.
If there are such incidents to be disclosed, the doctor must post the date of the judgement, settlement or award, the amount paid to the claimant and to what medical specialty the claim was related. Further, the law requires the doctors to disclose if they have been convicted of a felony or been disciplined by a hospital within the past decade. Both these provisions apply no matter where the event took place, in Connecticut or elsewhere.
In this way, the state encourages patients to research their doctors before choosing who should care for them or their loved ones. Of course, a clean record is no guarantee that medical malpractice will not occur, as negligent behavior can happen at any point in someone’s career. Those who have been harmed by malpractice may wish to consider seeking out experienced counsel to help protect their rights. This could help a patient recover compensation for their losses, medical bills and suffered damages.
