Many times patients will not know that their doctor, nurses, or other medical provider was/were negligent. This is because doctors and hospitals go to great lengths to hide any potential negligence from their patients. If there is an unexpected outcome, that may be the first indication that you were a victim of negligence. For example, a patient undergoing a routine operation or procedure should not die or end up with brain damage or trauma to a limb. While there are some procedures that have inherent risks, it is up to the doctor to discuss those risks with you and fully warn you about them. Those are not part of this scenario. If there were an unexpected outcome, you should contact an experienced medical malpractice lawyer to see if there was, in fact, any negligence.