Each year, an estimated 200,000 people in the United States die as a result of medical mistakes or medical negligence. Many thousands more sustain serious injuries or incur more costly medical expenses as a result of errors that doctors and healthcare providers make. If your child is the victim of medical malpractice, it is important that you understand your legal rights and that you take action to hold the care provider accountable. A medical malpractice attorney at Steinger, Greene & Feiner can assist you in pursuing your claim and getting the compensation that you deserve.
Types of Medical Malpractice
Any time a doctor or healthcare provider offers substandard care to a patient below the level of care that a reasonable provider would have offered, the provider can be held legally accountable for the consequences. Some of the different types of situations that can result in a care provider being held responsible for medical malpractice can include:
- MisdiagnosesDelayed diagnosis or failure to diagnose a medical problem
- Surgical mistakes such as operating on the wrong patient or the wrong body part
- Failure to monitor for drug interactions
- Administering or prescribing the wrong medication or the wrong dose
- Lab test errors
- Birth injuries
- Inadequate hospital policies regarding staffing or cleanliness
Recent studies have shown that the majority of malpractice claims against primary care doctors occur as a result of a failure to diagnose medical conditions. Surgeons, however, have reportedly been known to make errors like leaving items inside of patients or operating on the wrong part or the wrong person. Estimates from Johns Hopkins indicate that a surgical instrument may be left inside of a patient as many as 39 times each week, while surgeries are performed on the wrong person and/or the wrong site as many as 20 times weekly.
Holding Healthcare Providers Responsible for Medical Malpractice
Medical mistakes can cause devastating outcomes for patients. Diseases that might have been curable can become death sentences, while other patients may need repeated surgery or may suffer permanent impairment due to a botched medical procedure. If your child has been the victim of a medical mistake, you have the right to be fully compensated for all losses and injuries by the doctor, hospital, or other care provider who made the error. You should be compensated for medical bills and costs; lost income; pain and suffering; emotional distress and wrongful death arising from the injury. Monetary damages for malpractice cases can be obtained through an out-of-court settlement or a lawsuit. In either case, a medical malpractice lawyer should be consulted to help with your claim and ensure that justice is done.
Can a Medical Malpractice Lawyer Help Me?
A lawyer will help you in many important ways if you suspect you were the victim of malpractice, including:
- Obtaining your medical records so they can be reviewed for evidence of mistakes or errors
- Helping you find an expert who can testify on your behalf about how substandard medical care harmed you
- Negotiating a settlement or presenting evidence to a jury
Don’t hesitate to take legal action and ensure that you have the money available to get treatment and live your life as comfortably as possible. Call a Steinger, Greene & Feiner medical malpractice attorney at one of our offices in Miami, West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Port St. Lucie, Fort Myers, Orlando, Okeechobee today to request your free consultation.