Key Takeaways
- Beyond outright mistakes, a doctor’s ethical failures may become a factor in medical malpractice when a decision puts a patient at risk.
- Doctors take the Hippocratic Oath to do no harm and are ethically obliged to help a patient when they can.
- Nonmaleficence and beneficence mean doctors should not let neglect harm patients and must act in their best interests, including easing pain.
- Autonomy means patients should control their treatment whenever possible, and informed consent is one part of their right to self-determination.
- The principle of justice requires fair, equitable care regardless of factors such as gender, ethnicity, economic class or gender identity.
Every day, doctors must make decisions about the type of care to provide to patients. Most of the time, they make those decisions based on the evidence presented and their training. Yet, there are times when mistakes occur. We also have to consider the role that ethics play in the medical field and how that can impact your ability to recover long-term from losses you have incurred.
If you were hurt due to the mistakes of a doctor, hospital, nurse, or other medical provider, it is critical that you take legal action to protect yourself. At Paulson Coletti Trial Attorneys PC, our Portland medical malpractice lawyer has the necessary experience to help you navigate your legal rights.
What Is Ethics in Medical Matters?
Many medical malpractice cases focus heavily on the mistakes that doctors make. However, there are many situations in which it is not the mistake a doctor makes but ethics that get in the way of what occurs. Doctors take an oath to do no harm to a patient through the Hippocratic Oath.
There are times when a doctor cannot do anything to help save a patient. However, if they can do something, they are ethically obliged to do so, and not doing so for the wrong reasons can lead to losses. A doctor must respect a patient’s autonomy and dignity as well. While medical conditions often limit a person’s ability to meet their day-to-day needs, they should still have the right to self-determination. If a patient can make decisions about themselves, then they should be able to do so. Informed consent is one component of that process.
Core to this includes:
- Nonmaleficence. A doctor should not allow harm to happen to a patient due to their own neglectful actions.
- Beneficence. A doctor has the requirement to act in the patient’s best interests, including giving patients medications to reduce pain and taking steps to avoid injury to that party.
- Autonomy. This is the principle that a doctor has to allow the patient to have the right to exercise control over their treatment whenever possible and not make decisions for the patient.
- Justice. This principle means that all patients must be treated fairly by doctors, which includes providing equitable care and not denying, restricting, or otherwise providing a lower standard of care because of factors like gender, ethnicity, economic class, gender identity, and expression, or other factors.
When a doctor makes a decision that puts others at risk, and it falls under one of these four classifications of ethics, medical malpractice may become a factor. This is not simplistic to prove, but our attorneys can help you.
Schedule a Consultation with Our Medical Malpractice Attorneys to Learn How We Can Help You
If you believe your doctor made ethical mistakes that led to the complexities that you are facing and the losses you have suffered, we want to help you. Contact Paulson Coletti Trial Attorneys PC to learn more about the legal rights you have in matters like this. Do not wait to contact us to request a free consultation to discuss your case.