Christy Bieber has a JD from UCLA School of Law and began her career as a college instructor and textbook author. She has been writing full time for over a decade with a focus on making financial and legal topics understandable and fun. Her work has.
Christy Bieber, J.D. ContributorChristy Bieber has a JD from UCLA School of Law and began her career as a college instructor and textbook author. She has been writing full time for over a decade with a focus on making financial and legal topics understandable and fun. Her work has.
Written By Christy Bieber, J.D. ContributorChristy Bieber has a JD from UCLA School of Law and began her career as a college instructor and textbook author. She has been writing full time for over a decade with a focus on making financial and legal topics understandable and fun. Her work has.
Christy Bieber, J.D. ContributorChristy Bieber has a JD from UCLA School of Law and began her career as a college instructor and textbook author. She has been writing full time for over a decade with a focus on making financial and legal topics understandable and fun. Her work has.
ContributorAdam has resided at the intersection of legal and journalism for two decades. An award-winning journalist and legal strategist, he’s covered high-profile trials in Florida. After law school, Adam and spent two years clerking for a U.S. District Co.
Adam has resided at the intersection of legal and journalism for two decades. An award-winning journalist and legal strategist, he’s covered high-profile trials in Florida. After law school, Adam and spent two years clerking for a U.S. District Co.
Adam has resided at the intersection of legal and journalism for two decades. An award-winning journalist and legal strategist, he’s covered high-profile trials in Florida. After law school, Adam and spent two years clerking for a U.S. District Co.
Adam has resided at the intersection of legal and journalism for two decades. An award-winning journalist and legal strategist, he’s covered high-profile trials in Florida. After law school, Adam and spent two years clerking for a U.S. District Co.
Updated: May 31, 2023, 12:41pm
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Doctors have a professional obligation to provide appropriate care. If they fail to do so, you have legal rights including filing a complaint against the doctor with your state’s medical board and/or pursuing a medical malpractice claim.
But, what happens when you file a complaint against a doctor? This guide explains the process and potential outcomes.
You can file a complaint against a doctor if the medical professional provides substandard care or violates ethical rules that apply to medical professionals. Here are some examples of situations when you can file a complaint against a doctor:
Both acts and omissions entitle you to file a complaint if your doctor’s care or conduct falls short of what is expected.
You can file a complaint against a doctor by following the process outlined by your state’s medical board. For example, in Florida, there is a Florida Health Care Complaint Portal that allows you to submit a complaint against a particular business, person or both.
Many states have standard forms that you submit in writing to file your complaint. You need to detail the nature of the complaint and may wish to provide evidence supporting the allegations that you are making.
Some states accept anonymous complaints, but if there is insufficient information for the state to conduct an investigation, they cannot move forward. As a result, in most cases, you should provide your contact details so the disciplinary board can reach out to you for necessary information about your doctor’s conduct.
The Department of Health (or other relevant department in your state that handles licensure of medical doctors) will investigate the complaint. If they discover your doctor acted improperly, they can take disciplinary action.
When you file a complaint against a doctor, the disciplinary board conducts an investigation to determine if the complaint has merit. You may be asked to provide additional details and the health care provider is informed of the complaint and given the opportunity to provide a defense.
If your complaint is successful, the disciplinary board may take action. The consequences for the doctor will depend on the circumstances. Some potential consequences include:
If disciplinary action is taken as a result of your complaint, it will be added to the Physician Data Center maintained by the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB). The Data Center includes details about practicing physicians including whether any disciplinary action has ever been taken against them.
In addition to filing a formal complaint against your doctor, you may also want to sue your doctor for damages.
You can do this by filing a medical malpractice lawsuit. To successfully sue for malpractice, you must show:
If you can prove these elements of your claim, you should be entitled to payment for:
An experienced medical malpractice lawyer can assist you in determining if you should file a lawsuit against your doctor. You may wish to both sue and make a complaint so your doctor can face professional consequences and you can be “made whole,” or put back as close as possible to the position you would have been in if the malpractice had never occurred.
You can file a complaint against a doctor by contacting your state’s disciplinary board. There are online websites maintained by each board that include details on how to file a complaint and that will provide you with the forms or information necessary. You need to submit details to allow the disciplinary board to investigate your complaint if you wish for the board to take action.
If a doctor’s unprofessional behavior violates their professional obligations, you can report their actions to the state disciplinary board and the doctor may face consequences. Examples of reasons to file a complaint can include sexual harassment, delayed treatmen, or botched treatment.
If the disciplinary board finds wrongdoing, the doctor is disciplined. Consequences for the doctor could include a formal reprimand, fines, limits on the ability to practice, a license suspension or a license revocation.
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ContributorChristy Bieber has a JD from UCLA School of Law and began her career as a college instructor and textbook author. She has been writing full time for over a decade with a focus on making financial and legal topics understandable and fun. Her work has appeared on Forbes, CNN Underscored Money, Investopedia, Credit Karma, The Balance, USA Today, and Yahoo Finance, among others.
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