Malpractice

Malpractice

When caring for patients, physicians and other healthcare providers must comply with the appropriate standard of care. Medical malpractice or medical negligence occurs when a medical provider deviates from the standard of care established by the medical community. If the appropriate level of care was not provided and a person suffers injury or death, the healthcare provider should be held responsible.

The third annual HealthGrades Patient Safety in American Hospitals Study, released April 3, 2006, found that among Medicare patients in hospitals, 250,246 patients were killed by potentially preventable medical errors over a three year period. HealthGrades previously estimated that within the entire population, not just Medicare patients, there were 575,000 preventable deaths caused by medical errors over three years. Other medical malpractice cases include:

• Birth injuries and pregnancy difficulties
• Brain injuries and traumatic brain injuries
• Emergency room treatment
• Failure to provide appropriate treatment for a medical condition
• Failure to provide informed consent
• Medication errors, prescription errors, and pharmacy errors
• Misdiagnosis or failure to diagnose
• Nursing mistakes
• Spinal cord injuries
• Surgical errors
• Unreasonable delay in treating a diagnosed medical condition
• Dialysis related injuries or death
• Hospital malpractice

The laws and rules governing malpractice lawsuits in each state can vary significantly. Medical malpractice actions have been significantly affected by “tort reform.”  Malpractice cases are very complex to litigate, and your recovery of damages may be limited by statute. Due to the highly technical nature of medical malpractice litigation, it is usually best to go to an attorney who specializes in medical malpractice law, and who has the resources necessary to develop your case, hire appropriate experts and, if necessary, to take your case to trial.

1-800-LAW-FIRM has network attorneys that are experts in medical malpractice. If you are interested in learning more about whether you have a medical malpractice claim, please click the links to learn more or call 1-800-LAW-FIRM to speak with one of our knowledgeable attorneys who can answer your questions now.