Sometimes it will be very easy to tell if one was a victim of medical malpractice. In those cases, the situation is so bad that any reasonable person would know that the doctor or hospital staff member were at fault. Examples of this obvious type of medical malpractice would be operating on the right leg instead of the left leg or leaving a surgical instrument inside of the patient after a procedure. However, not every case will be as clear as this. In fact, one may not even know that he/she was a victim for quite some time. Malpractice can also take the form of failing to properly treat or diagnose an existing condition, which a patient might not realize until long after the fact. It’s a good idea for anyone who thinks he/she might have been a victim of malpractice to consult an attorney as soon as possible to avoid losing a claim under the statute of limitations.