Most people respect and trust their doctors. Yet, the tragic reality is that these medical professionals betray that trust with great frequency by committing medical errors. This medical malpractice can have a tremendous impact on your life. Those who have suffered the most serious types of medical malpractice can end up permanently disabled, which completely reshapes the way they perform their day-to-day activities.
Although recovering from medical malpractice can be financially devastating, it can also be emotionally overwhelming, especially for those who wind up disabled. We hope that by following some of this guidance you will be able to find a new sense of stability in your newfound reality.
- Allow yourself to grieve your loss: If medical malpractice has left you disabled, then you’ve lost a part of yourself. It’s completely normal to feel a sense of loss and to be sad about it. Let yourself feel that pain so that you are better able to work through and eventually past it.
- Expect emotional changes: If you haven’t already, you’re probably going to feel sad, angry, and anxious about the future. This roller-coaster is normal. Just know that eventually everything will settle down once you find your center in your new normal.
- Recognize that you can be happy: It might be hard to believe in the immediate aftermath of your injury, but you can reclaim happiness even after being seriously harmed. Try to focus on the things that really matter to you, like certain hobbies and your family and friends, and focus on putting your energy into them. Try not to dwell on what medical malpractice has taken away from you. If you allow yourself to fall into that hole, then depression may quickly overwhelm you.
- Be open to help: Far too often, people who are seriously injured or disabled feel like they are being weak if they ask for help. This simply isn’t the case. By asking for help when needed, you can ease the burden that was unfairly thrust upon you while at the same time building a relationship with those who are closest to you.
- Try to minimize the impact of your injury: Whether you modify your house to accommodate your new condition or shift your focus to things that you are still able to do, seek out ways to minimize the impact of your harm. This can help you stabilize and find a new normal that works for you and allows you to focus on the things that matter to you.
- Be patient with yourself: Adjusting to life after medical malpractice can be enormously challenging. Don’t rush yourself, as doing so may lead only to frustration, stress, and hopelessness. Recognize that it’s going to take time to develop the skills you need to modify your life, and that you need to be realistic about the length of time it will take to develop those skills. Expect occasional setbacks, but know that progress will ultimately be made.
- Don’t be afraid to seek support: There are a lot of ways you can find support when dealing with your condition. Whether its through a support group, a mental health professional, or frequent communication with your friends and family, know that you’re not alone in your battle reclaim normalcy.
- Seek accountability: A lot of medical malpractice victims struggle with knowing that they were wronged and that nothing was done about it. You can take action. A medical malpractice lawsuit can seek to hold negligent medical professionals liable for their harmful actions and inactions. By pursuing one of these claims, you may find that you can close that chapter of your life, recover the compensation you need to focus on your recovery, and set the stage for your future.
We understand that being harmed by medical malpractice is a life-changing event. You deserve to be made whole as fully as possible under the circumstances at hand, but in order to do so you’ll likely need to consider taking legal action. Fortunately, competent legal professionals stand ready to help guide you through the process.