Patient Abandonment Help

A Kasiser doctor messed up my knee really bad by experimenting dry needling on me. He promised me he would work on it until it was fixed, but as soon as I crossed one year, he refused to ever see me again.

My knee got really bad, to the point I could not put any weight on it at all without significant pain. I asked for help, but the doctor refused.

I bought a cane and messed up my shoulder. So I then bought a knee scooter to get around.

I went to get a second opinion on my knee, but the second doctor was the first doctors buddy and right away the second doctor told me I am going to tell you the same thing as the first doctor, before he even inspected my knee.

My mom complained about the second doctor. Now the first doctor says because my mom filled a complaint the department refuses to see me at all.

Now my hip is hurting really bad for riding a knee scooter for 5 months and I just got an x-ray which shows I now have a messed-up hip. So now I bought a wheelchair.

I begged for help, but the physical medicine department refuses, they say if I want any further help I have to drive to a different Kaiser over an hour away, which I cannot do because I am now in a wheelchair and cannot drive in my current condition and have to get someone to take me.

I have other physical medicine issues as well and I cannot get into the department I need.

I called some lawyers, but they just tell me this is not the type of case they take. Any recommendations?

Bridgewater said:

Any recommendations?

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You can speak with your health insurer and see if the insurer can offer you any new ideas.

As far as a lawsuit, read your medical insurance policy, look for the provision specifying all disputes are to be addressed via mediation or arbitration.

You can also keep searching for a lawyer.

Best of luck, and Merry Christmas.

Bridgewater said:

A Kasiser doctor messed up my knee really bad by experimenting dry needling on me. He promised me he would work on it until it was fixed, but as soon as I crossed one year, he refused to ever see me again.

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Did you see a lawyer specifically about potential malpractice by this first doctor? That would seem to be the root of your issues. You did not say in what state this took place and that matters as state laws vary. In particular, you have to make sure you file the case within the time allowed by that state's statute of limitations. For medical malpractice claims it is pretty common for the SOL to be pretty short, 2 years is typical among the states I'm familiar with.

Unfortunately no federal law prohibits a doctor from cutting ties and refusing to see you in the future, and few (if any) state laws do that either. When you are locked into a particular company's healthcare system being cut off from their doctors on something like this makes it very hard because the insurance you have won't cover going to out of system doctors nearly as well, if at all. That's one thing to consider when you are looking at insurance plans: if the insurance plan is offered by a company that also runs its own hospital/doctor group and the insurance only pays the preferred benefits to their own hospitals and doctors and you end up in a dispute with that system, you get screwed.

I am in California, I did not try see a lawyer when the first doctor messed up my knee, I really just wanted a working knee. However, now I cannot get any help and I have a lot more issues.