.2108191236391.jpg)
Psychiatrists, like all doctors and health care providers, have an obligation to provide patients with a certain standard of care. The failure to provide the appropriate mental medical treatment may amount to psychiatric malpractice, which is a type of medical malpractice. As with all medical malpractice cases, a successful psychiatric malpractice case must prove the following:
- The psychiatrist or mental health professional owed his or her patient a duty of reasonable care;
- That the psychiatrist or mental health professional failed to fulfill his or her duty of care;
- That the patient sustained an emotional, psychological, and/or physical injury; and
- That the injury occurred as a result of the negligent action(s) of the psychiatrist or mental health professional.
Common types of psychiatric malpractice include:
- Sexual misconduct
- Abuse of knowledge or power
- Sharing information without patient consent
- Threatening a patient
- Failure to diagnose a dangerous condition
- Medication errors
- Prescribing incorrect or harmful psychiatric medication
One of the primary challenges associated with psychiatric malpractice is that they frequently go unreported because the victim may be emotionally unstable or uncertain of his or her own mental condition. Patients fear that their complaints about psychiatric malpractice will be dismissed as lies, paranoia, or an exaggeration of circumstances.
If you have suffered from injuries as a result of psychiatric malpractice, you may be entitled to money damages for your injuries. Victims of psychiatric malpractice may be entitled to compensatory damages, including:
- Medical expenses, including future mental health treatment
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Lost wages (past and future)
- Property damages
- Disfigurement
- Disability
- Loss of normal life
The Chicago medical malpractice lawyers at Cogan & Power, P.C focus on helping the victims of all types of medical malpractice, including psychiatric malpractice, as well as the failure to diagnose, surgical errors, obstetrical negligence, and pharmaceutical errors, recover for their injuries and losses. We seek full and fair compensation and have obtained numerous multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements on behalf of the victims of medical malpractice.
If you or a loved one has been the victim of psychiatric malpractice or other medical negligence, do not hesitate to contact the experienced Chicago medical malpractice lawyers at Cogan & Power, P.C. at (312) 477-2500 to learn more about a possible medical malpractice lawsuit.