Medical malpractice, which includes radiation malpractice, occurs when doctors act negligently or ignorantly. Acting negligently or ignorantly means doctors do not have all the necessary information or training they need, they fail to inform patients of the possible outcomes and side effects, they force patients into unnecessary, incorrect or dangerous procedures, they use faulty or outdated equipment or methods, and the patient is not referred to or treated by specialists. Radiation malpractice also occurs when medical procedures go wrong and lead to further injury and death.

In all of these cases, it is important to contact a medical malpractice attorney. Most, if not all, of your medical expenses may be covered by the doctor, hospital, or product or drug manufacturer.

To find out if you are the victim of radiation malpractice, questions to ask yourself include:

• What led you to this doctor, and what kind of doctor was he/she?
• Why was radiation chosen as an option for you?
• Did anyone discuss potential risks of radiation to you?
• What were your symptoms and/or injuries?
• Were they treated? If so, how and by whom?
• Was your injury made worse by radiation?
• Did anyone tell you this was a possibility?

Recent radiation malpractice cases include when doctors incorrectly placed radiation seeds in a patient’s rectum, which caused the severe burns and resulted in the patient losing his colon and bladder. Other cases include botched X-rays, spinal cord injuries due to incorrect use of radiation, over-radiation of a brain tumor, and patients who develop deadly radiation sickness, which is characterized by nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss and loss of appetite.