—quick start—
Whether you are just starting this process or you have already talked to us and need a reminder of what we discussed, this page may help. We understand that everyone is in different stages of grieving and for some it may just be too painful to even talk about it or for others it may be difficult to comprehend or even be actively present when we did talk. Whatever brings you here, we wanted you to know that we understand and have personally been where you are right now. We wanted to give you a safe place that you can start or complete the process in a manner that is more comfortable to you.
quick start
THIS IS KEY AND NEEDS TO HAPPEN AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE for every medical/service provider your pet saw before and after the event(s). Do not accept excuses or delays in getting your paperwork which are common practices if someone is trying to hide something.
By law, you are entitled to receive your companion animal’s medical records within a reasonable period of time — typically three business days. Beware of excuses as to why you can’t have them or that there will be a delay. For example, “the doctor is out of town,” “the records need to be reviewed before we give them to you,” “we don’t keep those kinds of records” and many others. Typically, professionally operated offices will not hesitate to provide you with a copy of the records. They have nothing to hide.
When you meet resistance, consider that to be a red flag (in most cases) that there is more going on than what meets the eye. Unfortunately, when a practice realizes they may be under investigation for negligence or malpractice, they will hesitate to provide records and may actually falsify records in an attempt to cover up their malpractice. Sadly, we see this too often.
If you do not already have your records, and if possible, we suggest you visit the location where the records are kept. We understand that may be difficult in light of what just happened. Perhaps a relative or friend could obtain the records for you. In any case, be very even-tempered and unemotional, to the extent you are able, when requesting and obtaining those records. You are legally entitled to them, and don’t allow yourself to be told otherwise.
Once you have the records in hand, find a quiet area (i.e., in your car) to review the records. To the best of your ability, make sure the records are complete and accurate before you leave the premises, and that they reflect information supporting your claim of negligence or malpractice. For example, if the vet told you verbally that a surgical knot came loose and caused internal bleeding but that information is not reflected in the medical records, you should advise the staff that the records are incomplete. Taking care of these issues before you leave the vet’s office will make your records review with our veterinarian move along faster and provide an accurate opinion letter to use for the legal action part of the process.
If you obtain records by email or other method (not in person), please follow the same process. Review records and contact the veterinarian’s office if you find missing information. Ask them to send your revised records so that you can continue with the rest of the process.
PAPERWORK TO OBTAIN:
If you have not already completed our victim form, please do so here with this easy form to get you started. One of the questions is why you suspect negligence or malpractice. We realize that there may be many reasons you believe that negligence occurred. At this point in the form, all we need are the one or two events that stand out the most in your mind. You will be asked for a more detailed description later in Step 3.
Note: No need to complete this again if you have already submitted a form with us. This is only for people who have NOT yet completed a victim form.
WHAT IS A CASE REVIEW AND WHY DO YOU NEED ONE? Attorneys require an Opinion Letter (also known as a Certificate of Merit in some states) before starting any case. We have independent veterinarians who review your case and all your documents, including the medical records you gathered from all the veterinary facilities that provided services and your Client Testimonial Statement (see below). If our veterinary team finds substandard care after reviewing your case, they will write an opinion letter. Medical records and your testimony are critical to ensuring an accurate opinion letter. In order to further ensure accuracy, we will have two of our veterinarians review your case and determine whether there was a breach(es) in the standard of care provided by the practitioners. Cost is $395 for two reviews and a resulting opinion letter, which is drastically less than what is generally charged by outside consultants. We are able to offer this discount through our partnership with our 501(c)3 nonprofit partner, Joey’s Legacy. Our veterinarians are highly experienced and have expertise in many areas of veterinary medicine, including specialties such as exotic animals, avian medicine, and equines. We want to cover all bases and make sure nothing is missed.
A MESSAGE FROM ANGEL BROTHERS, DVM, ONE OF OUR DOCTORS:
IN THE PRACTICE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE, SOMETIMES THINGS GO WRONG, and a dispute arises between doctor and client. Sometimes it is a breakdown in communication between veterinarian and client where treatment plans are not clear or expectations for outcome are not managed. Sometimes a pet dies. Whether that is from all attempts being destined to fail or inadequate care or negligence, a grieving owner may be questioning the reasons, frustrated because they were not heard. VMC is here for you. Our reviewers can help sort this out and help you by either finding comfort that your pet’s caregivers did all that they could to try and produce a good outcome or sometimes to give you some validation in your concerns of substandard care and provide you with a professional opinion to aid you in pursuing compensation for your loss.
If you would like to see a few of our actual redacted case reviews, you can find them HERE.
When you are ready, order your review. We provide a safe and secure checkout process that includes several payment options including some payment plans offered by PayPal. For your convenience, you can add to your shopping cart directly from this page.
The VMC CASE REVIEW provides two independent veterinarians who review your case and all your documents, including the medical records you gathered. If our veterinary team finds negligence or malpractice after reviewing your case, they will write an opinion letter (also known as a “Certificate of Merit”).
Now that you have purchased an independent case review, let’s work on gathering all the records needed to submit for consideration. By this stage, you should already have every medical record you can get from Step 1 but you aren’t quite done yet.
CLIENT TESTIMONIAL STATEMENTS
Our attorneys have advised that client testimonial statements can be used when making determinations in case reviews, which in turn can be introduced into the legal system. These are particularly helpful in cases where veterinarians hide documentation, falsify documentation, fail to do documentation, or withhold records from you.
You provided a brief overview in the victim form completed in Step 2. Now let’s do a more comprehensive accounting of exactly what happened from your point of view. This will be included in all the paperwork when your case is sent for review and will be taken into consideration when making a determination of negligence or malpractice. Our expert reviewers can only make informed decisions based on the information provided from medical records and testimonial statements submitted by pet owners. Your case is stronger with as much factual information provided as possible. We strongly recommend taking the time to document a timeline of what happened; include dates, times, and people present whenever possible; include pets behavior/symptoms before and after; inconsistencies in what medical/grooming team report verses what you experienced; and any personal conversations you had with all parties involved that may be helpful. Document as much as you can in your personal testimony, even if you are unsure as to how pertinent it is.
RECORDS SUBMISSION
Once you have your personal testimony written and you gathered all your records, it’s time to submit it along with all of your medical documentation to us via email.
Here’s a list of items to include:
You can upload all your documentation here.
If you require a different file type or larger file size, please LET US KNOW.
NOTE: In order to not cause a delay in the process, please purchase your review on the same day you submit your documentation.
Our veterinary consultants will contact you if they have any questions during the review process.
Note: The time to review your case varies from case to case depending on the number of records you provide and our team’s current caseload. Typical reviews take 2 – 6 weeks. Cases involving specialists and/or multiple bad actors may take more time. Once a case review is completed, you will receive a determination letter from two of our veterinarians. If substandard care is found, then an opinion letter is written that outlines specific findings that led to their conclusions.
So you have your Certificate of Merit/Opinion Letter, now what? If substandard care is found, then your opinion letter should be presented to the attorney of your choice or we can refer you to one of our experienced attorneys. Our attorney referrals are happy to speak with you and discuss legal options.
Please remember that we are always here for you. If you have questions, reach out. Unlimited email and telephone support are included with every case review order. We are available 9am to 9pm (Eastern Time), 7 days a week.
Disclaimer: VMC does its best to assist you from the beginning of your case until the end. However, we cannot guarantee certain results or success, as there are a number of unknown variables that can come into play that are out of our control. Nor do we ever ask our independent vets to provide a particular finding. We strive for completely unbiased reviews. We will advise you during the initial interview stage if we feel we are not able to help. Taking on a case does not in any way offer any guarantees of success.
