Steps to Take For Medical Malpractice Claims
Written by Cooper & Friedman PLLC on December 23, 2025
Medical malpractice is a very serious form of personal injury. Negligence when it comes to someone’s health can have long-lasting effects on your quality of life and, in some cases, can be fatal. According to the 2017 study, Rates and Characteristics of Paid Malpractice Claims Among US Physicians by Specialty, 1992-2014, from the National Center for Biotechnology Information, the National Library of Medicine, the 5 specialties with the highest number of total paid medical malpractice claims were:
- Obstetrics and gynecology
- General surgery
- Family Medicine
- Internal medicine
- Orthopedics
However, medical malpractice refers to any medical field. Dentals, dermatology, anesthesiology, radiology – any field that a doctor causes harm due to negligence can have medical malpractice claims. Whether it was a misdiagnosis, delayed diagnosis, errors, or injuries sustained during treatment, take these steps if you suspect that you or a loved one has experienced medical malpractice.
1. Get Additional Medical Help.
If your medical malpractice caused additional injuries or pain, seek medical help elsewhere. Your safety and health should be the top priority before anything else. By visiting another doctor, you’ll also get a second expert opinion and an opportunity to collect more documentation for your case.
2. Find a Medical Malpractice Lawyer.
Medical malpractice is a type of personal injury that can be difficult to navigate on your own. Between maintaining your health and the stress that comes with an injury, it’s better to let the professionals handle medical cases. A medical malpractice attorney can take a lot of the responsibility of the case off of your shoulders as you recover. When it comes to knowing what a malpractice case needs, having an expert to guide you is your best chance of getting the compensation you deserve.
3. Contact the State Medical Licensing Board.
Contacting the state medical licensing board to file a complaint against a doctor is one of the many steps in for medical malpractice claims. However, it is an important one. While a licensing board cannot compensate you, they can issue warnings or discipline the doctor outside of legal proceedings if the malpractice is proven to be true. This is important documentation to have, and can help to prevent situations like yours from arising in the future.
4. Get Several Expert Opinions.
It is important to be thorough with the documentation and testimonies that you bring to court for medical malpractice. Your lawyer will help you collect the testimony of experts that can outline why your doctor’s actions were negligent and resulted in your injury, as well as experts to help you prepare for any long-term side effects or complications that could arise.
5. Maintain Documentation and Records.
Personal injury relies heavily on the evidence presented to the courts. Documentation of doctor’s visits, photos, reports, missed work, prescriptions, expert testimonies, and anything else having to do with your injury are critical to a successful case. If you have a medical malpractice lawyer by your side from the beginning
If you or someone you love has been injured in an in the State of Kentucky and are in need of an experienced medical malpractice attorney, give the lawyers at the Cooper & Friedman law firm a call. The attorneys at Cooper and Friedman PLLC have over 50 years of combined experience defending the rights of medical malpractice victims. Contact us with questions you might have or schedule a free case consultation with an attorney by calling 502-459-7555 today.