Physical therapists are an important part of a patient’s healthcare team. They are often called upon to perform the long and enduring treatment that may go on for months in order to help the patient reach their optimal recovery.
Generally speaking, many patients value their therapists’ work and trust in their expertise because of the rapport that is formed over the 2-3 month process of working together. Sometimes, however, additional injuries can develop from a negligent therapist or if the if proper procedural guidelines and standards of care are not met.
When therapists do not follow proper standards of care, serious injuries can result. Injuries can range from burns due to improper padding used when applying hot packs, to falls and fractures from the therapist not utilizing the proper guarding procedures when performing gait training.
Malpractice injuries can result due to the negligence of the treating physical therapist. Some examples of injury causes include:
- Using broken or outdated equipment
- Not being adequately trained to use said equipment
- Instructing a patient to perform unsafe exercises or those that are too advanced for the patient
- Failing to adequately listen to the patient and their complaints
- Misinforming the patient of the potential risks associated with their care
- Using inadequate transfer or gait training techniques and supervision resulting in falls
Potential injuries that can result from physical therapy negligence and malpractice are:
- Concussions
- Fractures
- Burns
- Spinal musculoskeletal injuries
- Heart attacks
- Strokes
- Soft tissue and ligament injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Additional revision surgeries
While mistakes can happen, at the end of the day, all patients deserve to receive professional care from a licensed professional. Treating practitioners must be held accountable for any negligence or malpractice that does not adhere to the standards of care established within the physical therapy profession.
If a patient suspects that they have been hurt during a physical therapy treatment session, it is imperative that they fill out an incident report with the clinic. They may also need to obtain legal counsel if the injuries are substantial.
The first step in concluding that your client has suffered injuries as a result of physical therapy negligence or malpractice is determining that the treating therapist did not provide the same standard of care that another therapist would have provided under similar circumstances. To accomplish this, another physical therapist practicing in the same field will need to testify on behalf of the standards of care for their profession and whether the treating physical therapist adhered to them. Another consideration includes proving that the injuries your client sustained were explicitly caused during the physical therapy session and the degree to which the client was injured.
Dr. Poppie has served the legal industry as a treating clinician, damages and standards of care expert, and educator for over 20 years. He specializes in the evaluation and treatment of multi-trauma injuries related to motor vehicle collisions, standard of care and malpractice claims, and as a damages expert to help educate insurance companies and both plaintiff and defense counsel to provide a viable pathway for obtaining a fair settlement based on ethics, research, and evidence-based standards of care.
Dr. Poppie founded Injury Reporting Consultants to help attorneys and insurance companies resolve personal injury cases through medical analysis and reporting.
Recognized specialties include Motor Vehicle Collision, Life Care Planning, Medical Cost Projection, Functional Capacity Evaluation, Onsite Job Analysis, Functional Impairment and Disability, Workplace Injuries, Orthopedic Physical Therapy, Standards of Care, Current Best Practices, Physical Therapy Malpractice, Negligence, File and Medical Record Review, Improper Documentation, Expert Rebuttal Reports, and Expert Testimony.
If you have a client that you think may have sustained an injury due to the negligence or malpractice from a physical therapist, feel free to contact our office at 720-982-2000 or email us at: brad@injuryreportingconsultants.com for a consultation.
Sincerely,
Dr. Brad Poppie, DPT, CLCP, CFCE, CSCS
Doctor of Physical Therapy
Standard of Care Expert
Certified Life Care Planner
Medical Cost Projection Specialist
Certified Functional Capacity Evaluator
Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist