Finding out If Your Doctor Has a Malpractice Suit

Posted: Sep 25, 2017 9:37 AM

One of the most important health decisions you can make is choosing your primary care doctor. Finding the right doctor has never been easy. It requires a lot of research. As you put your precious life in a doctor's hands, you need to be sure your life isn’t at risk. You need to be more than confident that the doctor you have selected has the qualifications, skills, and experience needed. If you are looking for the best medical care, you should do a background check on your ideal doctor before hiring him/her. Avoid the shock of hiring a doctor only to find out later that they have a malpractice suit. So, how do you find out if your doctor has been sued for malpractice?

How to find out?

State Medical Boards

A state medical board is responsible for licensing its doctors. Also, it handles cases of discipline for doctors. The board has the authority to suspend or permanently revoke a doctor's license if he or she has violated medical standards.

We are living in a digital era, and many state medical boards have websites that you can use to find out more about your ideal doctor. Does the doctor have any disciplinary cases? How is the doctor's medical record? Is the doctor licensed? By accessing the state medical board website, you will have a chance to find out everything you need to know about the doctor in question. You will know if the board has taken any disciplinary action against the doctor you are looking at.

Sometimes, the state medical board may lack a searchable website. What should you do? In such a case you should search for the state board contacts, and contact them directly.

Court Records

If your doctor happens to have disciplinary issues to the extent of being sued, there is a way you can find such a record. Many court records can be found online, and if you can’t find the court record on the internet, you can pay to get a copy from your state court. However, if the record is confidential, you will have to make a call to the county clerk of the county where your doctor works.

Online search

The first place to check your ideal doctor's track record should be the state medical board, but for further research you can carry on a web search. You can search for the doctor's medical practice history by keying in his name plus other keywords such as malpractice suit or disciplinary problems.

Why you should discover whether your doctor has malpractice suits?

Looking for medical test or treatment? You should select your doctor wisely. You should carry out research to determine whether the doctor has the qualifications you need and a good track record. So, why should you research if your doctor has a track record of malpractice and other disciplinary problems?

When seeking medical assistance, finding the right doctor is very important. The right test or treatment is what you need. Being treated by a quack doctor is the last thing you need. There have been cases of serious side effects or even death due to poor treatment. Protect your life! Know your doctor!