We trust doctors with our lives and we expect them to do the best that they can to help us. The majority of the time they do just that; they heal people, save lives, and bring the terminally ill back from the brink of death. However, for all the good that they do, doctors are still human, and like all humans, they sometimes make mistakes.
The big difference is that when a doctor makes a mistake on the job, the results can be catastrophic for the person that they are supposed to be helping.
So what do you do when a doctor has made a mistake that has grievous consequences? You call a medical malpractice attorney for help. Medical malpractice lawyers will do their best to make sure that you get the compensation that you need to take care of any expenses caused by the doctor’s mistake.
So, if you have been the victim of medical malpractice, do not suffer in silence, hire a medical malpractice lawyer to fight for you.
What Is Medical Malpractice?
Medical malpractice is when a doctor, nurse, or any other healthcare professional causes harm to a patient due to negligence. The negligence factor means that medical malpractice is a subset of personal injury law.
The negligence in the case of medical malpractice can occur during diagnosis, treatment, aftercare, or health management. In order for a case to be considered medical malpractice, it must have the following elements:
A Standard of Care Violation – Medical professionals have a standard of care that they must adhere to when they do their job. If the care a patient receives falls below that standard, then it is considered negligence and the patient has grounds for a malpractice suit.
The Standard of Care Violation Caused an Injury – It is not sufficient that the medical professional violated the standard of care, that violation must have resulted in an injury to the patient. The patient and their lawyer must also prove that the injury would not have occurred if the medical caregiver had not been negligent.
The Injury Caused Significant Damages – For a medical malpractice lawsuit to be viable, it must have resulted in significant damages. That is because these types of lawsuits tend to be very expensive to litigate, so the potential compensation must be significant in order to offset the cost of the lawsuit. That means the cost of the case could be too large to overcome relatively small damages. Usually, the medical malpractice must result in disability, pain and suffering, significant medical bills, long term or permanent loss of wages, and other significant damages in order to be worth pursuing.
Examples of Medical Malpractice
There are many types of negligence that fall under the umbrella of medical malpractice. Here are some of the more significant ones:
Misdiagnosis, Delayed Diagnosis, or Failure to Diagnose – The wrong diagnosis, or the lack of a diagnosis can cause significant harm to an individual. A medical condition can worsen if it is improperly diagnosed or if it goes undiagnosed.
Prescription Errors – Mistakes caused by prescribing the wrong medicine, or the right medicine in the wrong amount can lead to significant harm and, in some cases, even death.
Anesthesia Errors – The administration of anesthetic is one of the most important parts of any surgical procedure. It is a very delicate process and if something goes wrong, it could result in a permanent disability, brain damage, or death. An anesthesia error could occur if too much or too little of it is used, or if the anesthesiologist fails to take the patient’s medical history into account.
Injuries Due To Childbirth – This type of medical malpractice happens during pregnancy or childbirth and can cause harm to the mother and/or her child. Since there are usually two or more victims involved, these types of cases are typically very serious. Childbirth injuries are due to negligence in prenatal care, negligence during childbirth, or postpartum negligence.
Surgical Errors – Any kind of surgery is an extremely delicate procedure, which is why, when something goes wrong, it can have very serious consequences. Those consequences can range from permanent disability to death. This type of medical malpractice does not just apply to the surgical procedure, it can also apply to post-op care as well.
Hire A Medical Malpractice Attorney To Help If Your Doctor Makes a Mistake
When you consider the number and severity of the complications that can result from improper medical care, you realize that it is imperative to get a lawyer to help in such cases.
An experienced medical malpractice lawyer can help you receive the compensation that you need to take care of all the damages caused by the mistake of the doctor or medical professional.
You will likely need a large compensation in the case of a particularly serious medical malpractice case, and an experienced personal injury attorney gives you the best chance of securing the payout that you deserve.
