What You Need to Know in Order to Provide Informed Consent

Before a doctor performs a medical procedure, the physician must provide you with enough information to allow you to give your informed consent to the procedure. If the doctor fails to obtain your informed consent, and you are injured during the procedure, then you may have a medical malpractice case against the doctor. 

The Virginia medical negligence attorneys of Shevlin Smith can evaluate your case and determine whether your doctor obtained your legal medical consent before performing a non-emergency procedure.

What is Informed Consent?

Washington D.C. and Virginia informed consent law requires that you be provided with enough information to make a reasoned decision before you agree to a medical procedure. Specifically, your doctor should explain:

• Your diagnosis
• Why he or she is recommending a specific procedure
• The potential risks and expected benefits of the recommended procedure
• The likelihood that the procedure will be successful
• Alternative procedures that may provide favorable outcomes
• The expected recovery time associated with the procedure
• The risks of not receiving any treatment at all.

If your doctor did not provide you with enough information to provide your informed consent, if you suffered an injury as a result of the procedure, and if you would not have agreed to the procedure if you had known about the risks and alternatives, then you may be entitled to damages. Contact the Washington D.C. medical malpractice lawyers of Shevlin Smith at 703.591.0067 to discuss your potential claim.