Does a bad outcome mean that medical malpractice occurred?
No. Just because the patient suffered a bad outcome does not automatically mean that malpractice occurred. Frequently, a bad outcome is caused by a known complication. Complications are not generally considered to be malpractice. In fact, most complications are contained on the consent form that patients are asked to sign. Some common complications are infection and bleeding. At other times, a bad outcome is a result of a disease process that the patient has that complicated recovery. Many potential medical malpractice clients are disappointed to learn they have no legal remedy for a bad outcome.
