If you believe that your chiropractor has caused you an injury during what should have been a routine adjustment, you may wish to speak to a medical malpractice law attorney. Like doctors and nurses, chiropractors are healthcare professionals who have an obligation to care for you — and when they don't, they can be subject to legal action. Your attorney will need to know a number of details about your case to affirm whether you indeed do have merits for legal action. Generally, the attorney will want these critical case details in place before you move forward.
Pre- And Post-Adjustment X-Rays
It's ideal if you can provide X-rays to your medical malpractice attorney that you had taken before and after the chiropractic session. This form of evidence can be instrumental in demonstrating that the chiropractor was negligent by causing a structural injury. It's common to have your chiropractor refer you to an X-ray clinic before he or she begins care, so you may always have this document. All you'll need to do is visit another X-ray technician — your attorney can likely refer you to one — for another X-ray.
A Clear Description Of What You Feel
While it might not be tangible evidence in the same manner as a pair of X-rays, your medical malpractice case against a chiropractor will also need you to clearly explain what you're feeling physically in the wake of the appointment. Your medical malpractice attorney will likely interview you and may also get you to write out a detailed statement. This information will discuss how you were feeling before the treatment, and how you felt immediately afterward and in the days that followed. Such evidence can be compelling proof that the chiropractic adjustment caused you harm.
Some Admission Of Wrongdoing
While an experienced chiropractor might stop short of admitting fault in the wake of your injury, it will strengthen your medical malpractice case if you're able to obtain some type of admission that he or she caused you pain. Email records can be valuable in this sense. For example, if you experienced pain after the adjustment and emailed the clinic to complain, you might have received an email back from the chiropractor, stating that he or she was sorry to cause you pain. A court may view this statement as an admission of responsibility for your injury, which may be critical to the success of your medical malpractice case.
