How Can I Find Out if a Doctor Has Ever Been Sued for Medical Malpractice?
Before choosing a doctor, learning as much as possible about them is crucial. You may want to try to find out if the doctor has previously been sued for medical malpractice. Medical malpractice suits are filed if a patient suffers injury, harm, or death due to a doctor’s negligence. Finding out if a doctor has ever been sued for medical malpractice can be complicated. However, with a bit of work, it can be done. Below, we explain some of the methods you can use to find out if a doctor has ever been sued for medical malpractice.
State Licensing Board
One of the easiest ways to find out if a doctor has ever been sued for medical malpractice is to go through the state medical licensing board. Every state has a medical licensing board that grants and manages doctors’ licenses. State licensing boards maintain information about medical malpractice cases and disciplinary actions. Most state licensing boards have websites where you can get this information for free. In Georgia, you can search for a physician at: https://gcmb.mylicense.com/verification/.
It is important to note that you may need to search several state licensing boards because many doctors hold licenses in various states. Also, a doctor may move to another state if a lawsuit has resulted in disciplinary action. You can find a list of state medical boards and their websites via the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB).
Online Search
Another way to find out if a physician has ever faced a medical malpractice lawsuit is by doing a simple online search using Google or another search engine. Enter the doctor’s name and the term “medical malpractice” and wait to see what comes up. However, the problem with this option is that if the doctor shares a name with many other doctors, it can be hard to sort through the information since you may get many results. Also, a search may not show any previous lawsuits. The doctor may have cleaned up any records of medical malpractice.
Court Records
If a doctor has ever been sued in court in your state, there is a court record of the case. Many court records can be accessed online. However, if you cannot access court records online, you can pay for a copy unless the record is confidential. All you need to do is contact the County Clerk’s office in the county where the doctor resides and/or practices.
Patient Review Websites
Some websites give ratings or reviews to physicians. However, it is vital to note that some reviews may not be accurate. Some reviews you find may be fake.
Talk to a Medical Malpractice Attorney
You can also talk to a medical malpractice attorney to find out if a doctor has ever been sued for medical malpractice.
Note also that, just because a doctor has previously been sued for medical malpractice, does not necessarily mean they did something wrong or are incompetent. All cases must be evaluated for merit.
Legal Help Is Available
If you or a loved one falls victim to medical malpractice, our skilled Atlanta medical malpractice attorney at Carroll Law Firm can help you with your claim.
Source:
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2628513/
