(845) 802-0047After experiencing any injury that does not get better on its own over time, you might need to visit a physical therapist or start a rehabilitation program to regain strength and mobility. However, when a physical therapist makes a mistake, they can cause a patient to suffer even more harm.
When you believe your injury worsened or you experienced more harm because of your physical therapist’s actions or inaction, you deserve legal assistance from a dedicated medical malpractice attorney. A Hudson Valley rehabilitation and physical therapy malpractice lawyer could help you recover compensation for your losses.
Common Causes of Rehabilitation-Related Injuries
Physical therapists treat acute injuries and chronic conditions. They try to help patients recover faster than they would on their own. However, when a rehabilitation specialist provides care below the medical community’s standard of care, they can commit malpractice.
The following are common types of mistakes a physical therapist could make:
- Misusing equipment
- Using faulty equipment
- Ignoring clear indications of pain
- Mishandling or dropping someone during treatment
- Failing to listen to a patient’s description of their symptoms or pain
- Hyperextending a body part, resulting in strains, sprains, or fractures
- Giving a patient the wrong type of exercises that could result in pain or injury
- Failure to obtain full informed consent from a patient for a proposed treatment
Physical therapists should draw upon their professional experience and educational training and give each patient individualized care, because every injury heals differently. When a physical therapist tries to treat every condition the same regardless of the type of injury, problems can arise. For instance, giving an 80-year-old patient the same exercises as a 20-year-old athlete could result in severe injuries to the elderly patient.
A Hudson Valley rehabilitation and physical therapy malpractice lawyer could review the patient’s medical records and meet with other physical therapists to determine whether they received substandard care.
Types of Injuries Seen in Rehabilitation Malpractice
When physical therapists make mistakes, they can worsen their patients’ injuries or cause new injuries. For example, pulling a patient’s arm too hard could cause them to suffer a nerve injury, fractures, or extensive soft tissue damage. Encouraging patients to do the wrong types of exercises or pushing them to work out for too long for their age and physical condition could cause them to suffer a heart attack or stroke. Letting a patient fall could cause them to suffer a concussion, cut, internal injuries, or other damage.
People who see physical therapists are usually already in pain or suffering some sort of injury. When a physical therapist does something that exacerbates their injuries or results in new harm, the patient deserves help. An attorney in Hudson Valley who is familiar with rehabilitation and physical therapy malpractice could help them fight for a fair settlement for the injuries the physical therapist caused.
Talk to a Hudson Valley Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Attorney
Patients go to physical therapy to get better. Even though the rehabilitation process can be challenging and painful, treatments should show progress. Patients should not suffer major setbacks or new bodily trauma due to their treatments.
When a physical therapy treatment harms you, you deserve to be compensated. Talk to John Fisher, a Hudson Valley rehabilitation and physical therapy lawyer who fights to protect patients’ rights. He could help you hold an irresponsible physical therapist liable for their mistakes. Make an appointment today.