Doctors are human, and they make mistakes too. Sometimes the mistakes are catastrophic for the patient, and at other times he or she experiences only a minor inconvenience. Here are four things you should keep in mind if you believe that you've been a victim of medical malpractice.

Malpractice Cases are Expensive

Just about all personal injury lawyers advance the costs of litigation on behalf of their clients, but medical malpractice litigation costs are so expensive that only highly specialized personal injury attorneys will even consider taking a medical malpractice case. The insurance company on the other side of the case has plenty of money to subsidize its insured doctor's defense.

Your Expert

Unless your doctor amputated the wrong leg, it's highly likely that you'll need at least one expert to testify on your behalf. He or she should be board-certified in the same specialty as the doctor who you claim was negligent. That doctor will want to be paid for reviewing all medical records and rendering an opinion as to whether there was a deviation from the applicable standard of care. He or she will want to get paid for consulting with your lawyer and of course for deposition and trial testimony too. It's not just $80 per visit. It's thousands upon thousands.

Hospitals, Clinics, and Malpractice

Hospitals and clinics are often included as defendants in medical malpractice cases. Quality control in these settings is emphasized. As healthcare expands, so do the legal issues that surround it. Many of the administrators who guide hospitals and clinics through this expansion earn a master of science in health law online or on-campus. Some educational institutions offer many different types of programs in this field.

Talk to a Lawyer

The law of medical malpractice is incredibly complex. Medical malpractice attorneys have special training beyond that of most lawyers. Lawyers associate freely with each other. Your divorce or criminal lawyer is likely to be acquainted with a successful medical malpractice lawyer. Ask for a referral.

When you meet with a medical malpractice attorney, you might even be told that you have a case, but it will be too costly to pursue. The damages just wouldn't support the amount of money that the attorney would have to invest in the case. Medical malpractice lawyers turn down far more cases than they accept. Consider yourself to be a fortunate patient.