Unnecessary Chiropractic Treatment...

by Richard
(Pocahontas, Illinois USA)

I was seeing a pain management doctor and he gave me several shots in my neck and back. Then he decided to have me see a chiropractor, without first getting x-rays of the middle of my back. I had 7 sessions with him but he could not get my back to pop. Then they took x-rays of my mid-back.

After reading the x-rays the chiropractor said he was not going to touch me anymore. Ever since then I've felt nothing but severe pain in my back. They told me they were lucky they didn't paralyze me on the table.

I am now seeing a new pain management doctor and he said they should have never sent me to a chiropractor. I was lucky they didn't paralyze me. Now he needs to do a lot of work with me to try and relieve my back pain.

Is there anything I can do to get compensation for the extra pain the first doctor and chiropractor put me through?

Disclaimer: Information provided in our response is NOT formal legal advice. It is generic legal information based on the very limited information you provided. Under no circumstances should the information in our response, or anywhere else on this site be relied upon when making decisions about your case. You should always get a formal case review from a licensed attorney.

ANSWER for "Unnecessary Chiropractic Treatment...":

Richard (Pocahontas, Illinois USA):

The first problem we see is a Chiropractor reading an X-Ray. Chiropractors aren't Radiologists and their ability to read X-Rays is limited at best.

You may have the basis of a malpractice claim against the Chiropractor and the Doctor. If your pain is prolonged or permanent and another doctor is willing to testify (or at least make a written report confirming the diagnosis of the doctor was improper or that his refusing to take X-rays resulted in permanent damage), you may have a decent claim. If on the other hand your pain was limited to a short period of time and the new doctor has alleviated the pain, your malpractice claim might not be very strong.

Fortunately you were not paralyzed. If you had been, the result might be an astronomical amount of a settlement.

If you need more specific information it would be in your best interest to seek the advice and counsel of a medical malpractice personal injury attorney. Most will not charge any fee for an initial office consultation.

Since laws change frequently and across jurisdictions you should get a personalized case evaluation from an attorney licensed in your state (if you haven't already). Find an experienced local attorney to give you a FREE personalized case review here.


Best of luck,

Law Guy