I typically hear this from callers:
Me: What’s causing your medical problem?
Caller: I don’t know.
Me: Did you ask your doctor?
Caller: Yes.
Me: What did he say?
Caller: He didn’t say anything.
Don’t keep going to a doctor who doesn’t answer your questions about your medical problems. In my experience, doctors who don’t answer their patients’ questions are either (1) Too busy to be bothered or (2) Don’t know the answer. Neither reason is good for the patient. If a doctor says to the patient “I don’t know, but we’re going to work together to find out,” that’s a terrific response, and that’s the kind of doctor who cares about his/her patient.
If a doctor doesn’t know the answer to a question, but doesn’t want you to know that he doesn’t know, that’s not the kind of doctor you need.
If a doctor is too busy to answer your questions, chances are that he/she is too busy to give you the care you need.
Now, don’t waste the doctor’s time with a bunch of irrelevant questions, but if there’s something you think is important, write it down before you go so you can remember to ask your doctor about it.
Same goes for lawyers. You have the right to have your questions answered, whether it is to explain the representation contract or to update you on the progress of your case. A medical malpractice case is a team effort between the lawyer and the client. The client is the most important part of the team and the lawyer needs to communicate clearly and effectively to the client about what’s going on. Because, at some point, the lawyer will need to communicate the case clearly to a jury. If your lawyer can’t answer your questions, you need a better lawyer.
