Patients fight back

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The pressure is enormous: doctors often literally hold their patients' lives in their hands. But when mistakes happen, they often feel let down.

(Bild: Roland Mühlanger / picturedesk.com)

A lost testicle, an irreparably damaged heart, a disfigured face and impaired speech: How local doctors are reacting to the increase in massive patient accusations and the sums of money the justice system has set aside for victims of malpractice.

Klagenfurt lawyer Paul Wolf, who specializes in medical law, currently has a total of 150 (!) malpractice claims on his desk. More and more often, patients feel that they have been badly treated by doctors, inadequately informed, and some suffer from serious long-term consequences. How many cases have to be litigated?