What is causation?

Medical malpractice suits can get tricky and complicated very quickly. For Kentucky patients like you, this can mean sifting through a lot of legal jargon just to understand what your potential options are. For example, you have likely heard the term causation before, as you pursue your case. But what is it?

In short, causation is “the act of causing something”. For example, in the case of medical malpractice specifically, let’s say that your doctor has accidentally left a piece of equipment inside a surgical site that then later punctures some internal soft tissue, causing additional medical problems. In this case, the causation of the puncture is the act of leaving the equipment inside your body, directly tying medical malpractice to your suffering.

Additionally, according to a paper published by Harvard Law, proving causation is of utmost importance to any medical malpractice case. This is because it is quite literally impossible to win a case unless:

1. There is ample evidence of causation; the more persuasive the better
2. The evidence proves that malpractice is at fault for any damage a patient has sustained

This means that you must be able to prove through evidence that it is most likely your medical practitioner’s fault for whatever your current ailment is.

Proving this causation is key to being able to win your case, and without it, your case will unfortunately likely not hold much water. Therefore, it is important to focus on this evidence-gathering when you take your case to court. That’s another reason why it is suggested that you seek the counsel of an attorney.