How do I proceed?

What is the name of your state?What is the name of your state?

Georgia is where I live, Kentucky is where the incident happened.

Winter of 2000, I fell down my back steps. I went to the doctor because of the extent of my injuries. I was sent for x-rays with in 48 hours of the fall. When I went back for the follow up with my doctor they said there was just brusing and no real injury.

Fast forward. I have been having a lot of back pain. It has really affected my quality of life.

We tried to obtain the original x-rays but they couldn't find them, so my new doctor(in georgia) ordered a new spinal x-ray. The x-ray showed a 20% compression fracture of the L1. A MRI confirmed this fracture.

Went to my doctor today, he received a report from the Kentucky radiologist. It showed a L1 compression fracture.

What do I need to do to file a malpractice lawsuit?

I know I need to obtain the medical records from the original doctor and the radioloist reports and current medical records.

Can someone also point me to a good Malpractice atty in Georgia? I livein North Georgia.

Thanks

Tankerwife
You have to have suffered significant damages that you would not have otherwise suffered. I sincerely doubt that you will be able to prove that prompt diagnosis and treatment, which is conservative, would have yielded different results.

You do not need an attorney in Georgia; you need an attorney in Kentucky. Call one in the area where the injury and hospital or MD is located. Consultations are usually free.

Best wishes,
EC

Tankerwife

Where in Kentucky did this take place?

Before you involved an attorney, better research what compression fractures are. It is a collapse of the vertebral body which does not affect the spinal cord. There is no treatment other than symptomatic (like pain control) and allowing it to heal. Annoying as it may be that an injury was down-played, your outcome would have been the same.
What you need now is a good orthopedist to determine why it is still hurting. Hasn't it healed? Compression fractures always look smashed on the xrays after they occur because healing only mends the bone but doesn't restore the height to the vertebral body. Someone needs to see if it has healed and if not, why not.