When you go to a chiropractor, you are seeking treatment for an ailment, pain or preventative treatment. What you aren't expecting is an injury caused by negligent care. Improper skeletal manipulation can cause existing injuries to worsen and cause new injuries and complications. If you have sustained injuries due to chiropractor neglect, you may be able to hold the chiropractor accountable and hire a personal injury lawyer to help you file a lawsuit against him or her.
There are two categories typically used when filing a personal injury lawsuit against a chiropractor.
Treatment Caused Patient Injury
Chiropractic adjustments can lead to neck injuries, nerve damage, herniated disks and other injuries. If the body isn't manipulated properly, these injuries can cause discomfort, loss of income and a life-time of medical treatments in an attempt to live with the pain or heal the injury that has been sustained.
During the adjustment of an injured area, improper manipulations can cause existing injuries to worsen. If you have not experienced any improvement in the injury and are actually in more pain than you were in before going to the chiropractor, it is important that you seek the professional opinion of another doctor or chiropractor to find out if further injury has been caused.
The most serious injury a chiropractor can cause is a chiropractic induced stroke. This occurs when the neck bones are manipulated and the bones actually rupture or block the arteries going through the neck. When these arteries are blocked or ruptured, the blood being carried through them doesn't reach the brain where it is needed. This causes the brain to be denied oxygen and a stroke is the result.
Missed Medical Condition Diagnosis
Many people are under the misconception that chiropractors don't undergo the same level of medical education and training that practicing doctors do. The truth of it is, chiropractors have the training and education required to identify many symptoms so that they can refer their patients to more specialized doctors for further exam and treatment. If they fail to identify these symptoms, it is possible that they could be held liable and sued.
If you or a loved one have been injured or symptoms have been overlooked by a chiropractor, talk with a skilled personal injury lawyer to learn what you can do to make things right and prevent that chiropractor from causing any further injuries to anyone else. For more information, contact a practice like Schlicter & Schonack LLP.
