12 Tips for Recovering From Medical Malpractice
Medical malpractice can leave you injured, in pain, and reeling from the violation of trust you held in your doctors. The road to recovery is therefore long, complex, and challenging. But with the right combination of strategies, you can guide yourself to a better place – physically, mentally, and even financially.
Physical Recovery
No matter how minimally or severely you’re injured, you’ll need to go through some steps to physically recover:
1. Get immediate medical attention. First, make sure you get immediate medical attention. This can be a tough recommendation to follow if you’ve recently been hurt or if your condition has worsened because of a doctor or medical professional’s malpractice. Still, you’ll need to work with a physician if you want to fully recover (and document your progress). Go to a healthcare provider you trust and consider getting a second, or even a third opinion to increase your trust and confidence.
2. Follow any and all medical advice. A doctor may have wronged you in the past, but that doesn’t mean you should throw out the advice of all other doctors. You should trust your new healthcare providers and follow their medical advice. This will set you up for a smoother, more reliable recovery – and also strengthen your case in most situations.
3. Attend follow-up appointments. If you start to see progress, or if you feel you have a handle on your medical condition, you may be tempted to skip the follow-up appointments. After all, you don’t want to waste time and money. However, it’s important to follow through to ensure you make a full recovery.
4. Take things easy. Your doctors will likely advise you to relax and reduce your physical workload, depending on the severity of your injuries. Even if they don’t, you should try to take things easy. Don’t try to do more than your body can handle and give yourself plenty of time to heal. You’ll be glad you did.
Mental and Emotional Recovery
Don’t underestimate the mental and emotional damage that a medical malpractice case can do to a person. We trust doctors to provide us with the best care and the best recommendations; when we do what they say and undergo their favored treatments, only to be further injured, it can be devastating. It makes it hard to trust medical professionals, or anyone else for that matter.
That’s why it’s so important to take care of your mental health:
5. Keep your mind occupied. Try to distract yourself in healthy ways, especially if you’re not currently working. That could mean burying yourself in an interesting new TV show, working on puzzles, or some other relaxing hobby of your choice. This could also be a great opportunity to discover a new hobby and make some new friends.
6. Reach out to friends and family members. Medical malpractice hurts in many different ways – but you’ll often feel better when you open up to friends and family members. Reach out and express your feelings. Chances are, your loved ones will be more than willing to support you (and help you out with whatever you need).
7. Stay physically active when possible. If you’ve been seriously injured or if you’re struggling with a debilitating condition, you may not be able to move much. But when possible, you should try to be physically active. Mild exercise, like walking outside, can relieve stress and help you recover.
8. Meditate. Learn to practice meditation, centering your thoughts and letting go of distractions. It can help you stay focused on the present moment and relieve some of the pent-up stress that has certainly accumulated as a result of this incident.
9. Talk to a therapist. If you’re finding it especially difficult to get on with daily life, or if you just need some extra support, don’t hesitate to reach out to a therapist. They may be able to help you navigate this difficult emotional period – even if they’re just a friendly, listening ear.
Financial Recovery
Of course, you’ll also need to think about your financial recovery. Chances are, you have high medical costs associated with this incident, both leading up to the medical malpractice and recovering from it. Depending on the extent of your injuries or your condition, you may not be able to work – which means you won’t have any money coming in.
Fortunately, if you have a good lawyer, you should be able to win a settlement that covers all your costs and then some. But in the meantime, you’ll need to make sure you set yourself up for a full, clean financial recovery.
10. Keep track of your expenses. Make sure to document everything. Keep track of all the appointments you’ve had, before and after the malpractice case, and keep track of all your expenses. This includes things not directly related to your medical treatment; they may be worthy of compensation in your case. Consult with your lawyer to get a full list of the items you should be documenting.
11. Follow the advice of your lawyer. Speaking of your lawyer, find a good one and follow their advice. Work with them proactively, ask lots of questions, and try your best to understand the case overall. They’ll likely make professional recommendations for what to do, how to prepare, and when to settle. Obviously, many of these decisions are still yours, but your lawyer has much more experience than you do.
12. Get a lawsuit loan. Finally, consider getting a medical malpractice lawsuit settlement loan. With one of these loans, you can get near-instant access to the settlement money you have coming your way. If the case falls through, or if you don’t get your money, you’ll owe nothing. And even when you’re paying the loan back, you won’t have to worry about interest – instead, you’ll typically only pay a fixed fee. It can make it much easier (and faster) to financially recover.
Recovering from medical malpractice is a difficult journey, but you don’t have to do it alone. With the right lawsuit loan, your financial worries can be put to rest – and you can spend more time and energy on your physical and mental recovery. Contact us today to learn more – or Apply Now for lawsuit funding now!