What to do if you think your veterinarian has harmed or killed your pet

You trust your veterinarian to diagnose, treat and care for your furry pets. What if your veterinarian made a mistake and that mistake harmed your animal? What to do in such cases, said the publication ALDF.

Photo: IStock

What is veterinary malpractice

Malpractice of veterinarians is essentially the same as malpractice of physicians, except that the victims are animals. If a veterinarian harms or kills an animal through negligence, this may constitute malpractice.

What can be done

You have several options if you suspect that your animal has been injured or killed due to the negligence of a veterinarian.

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You can file a complaint with your state veterinary licensing board. Licensing committees have the power to suspend or revoke a veterinarian's license, although this is rare.

Alternatively, sue the veterinarian. A lawyer can negotiate a settlement or file a lawsuit.

Another way is to take your case to small claims court. The advantage of small claims court is that you don't need a lawyer (in some states it's illegal to have a lawyer in small claims court at all) - and cases move much faster than in other courts.

However, the amount of money you can get in small claims court will be less than in other courts.

What will you get if you win

Historically, recovery for medical malpractice claims has been low, but this is beginning to change.

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Under current law, an animal is treated as personal property, and some courts limit reimbursement for the cost of replacing an animal with another animal.

Some courts are beginning to accept that an animal is unique and cannot simply be replaced. These courts are starting to allow larger penalties that take into account the moral value of the animal, not just its economic value.

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