While we like to hope a trip to the hospital will always end with us walking out healed or at least in a better condition, there are countless cases every year of people who suffer the exact opposite. After all, doctors are human too, and for that reason they make mistakes. But whether or not mistakes are a human characteristic, anyone who is victimized by the mistake of a medical professional—or even worse, victimized by malicious intent—owes it to themselves and future patients to seek justice.

There are many different outcomes in this type of case, but here are some common after-effects of medical malpractice.

1. Pain and Suffering

The most obvious effect of having something go wrong in an operation or some other kind of medical treatment is the pain and suffering of the injured. Even a temporary injury can be severely painful and in many cases suffering may go on for a long period of time, if not a lifetime. Pain and suffering is awarded compensation in many of these cases as it is very real to those involved.

2. Disability or Deformity

In a severe case, a patient may end up disabled or deformed as a result of medical malpractice. This creates a situation that can put them at a disadvantage for the rest of their life, affecting their ability to work and do pretty much anything else.

It does, of course, depend on the type and extent of the disability or deformity, but the fact that their life has been altered from what it was before they went under the knife and trusted the doctor is very tragic and is an issue that should always be addressed.

3. Emotional Stress and Suffering

One of the deepest extents of any medical malpractice situation is the emotional stress caused by the situation. In the case of disability or deformity, this can be an ongoing thing, but even a temporary situation can result in shock and complete re-evaluation of what we can expect from the society around us.

The truth is this: most of us inherently trust doctors and physicians to keep our best interest in mind and to have the ability to safely help us. This trust may not always be founded, but it’s a deeply rooted part of our culture, and even if we get butterflies before a major operation, our logic still tells us that we’re going to come out fine on the other side.

When that isn’t the case, it can really damage our psyche and give us a deep fear of medical attention of any kind. In many cases, that is just the beginning of what happens to our psyche.

4. Financial Woes

Medical malpractice can become very expensive for the patient wronged. Not only are they often subjected to very significant medical costs—which can skyrocket in this country—but they are often put out of work for long periods of time if not forever. This reason alone is a strong motivation to seek justice and at least be compensated for financial loss.

5. Death

Sadly, medical malpractice can and does lead to death in some cases. Whether from the wrong medication or something more sinister, these things do happen. In these cases, family members can often take action on behalf of the deceased and be compensated for funeral costs, loss of family income, emotional suffering, and more. If malicious intent was involved, criminal charges can be brought.