While no doctor or surgeon can guarantee results, medical mistakes are often preventable through the exercise of due care. Patients have legal rights when an avoidable medical error has caused them to suffer losses. You may have a viable claim against a negligent doctor, surgeon, or another healthcare professional if they failed to uphold the proper standard of care.
A successful claim may result in compensatory damages for your medical expenses, lost wages, and other losses you or your family experienced. Partnering with a Douglasville medical malpractice lawyer could help ensure your lawsuit is investigated thoroughly and timely filed. Additionally, a seasoned personal injury attorney could work through all the complex legal nuances of your case.
All claims of medical malpractice allege that a doctor or another medical professional failed to provide the plaintiff with reasonable and competent care. The court determines whether care was “reasonable” and “competent” by reviewing local and national standards, best practices, the experience of the medical professional, and other case-specific factors. Some examples of potentially deficient care may include:
In addition to proving that they received deficient care due to a careless error, claimants also must demonstrate that this inadequate treatment caused the harm. If the patient would have suffered the same outcome regardless of the doctor’s actions, then this lawsuit may not succeed. A well-practiced Douglasville lawyer could assess a medical malpractice claim to identify if it could be viable in court.
Medical malpractice plaintiffs may receive compensation for any additional treatment expenses they incurred because of the defendant’s error. If a claimant needs to miss work because they require additional procedures or time to recuperate from their injuries, compensation may be available for these lost wages as well. Other incidental expenses that plaintiffs experience, such as the cost of prescription drugs or an in-home healthcare assistant, also may be compensable damages.
Depending on their case, a patient may be eligible to receive noneconomic damages. These damages cover any physical or mental pain they experienced as well as any reduction in their lifespan or chance of surviving their illnesses or ailments.
Compensation in these cases is meant to give claimants the monetary resources they need to pay for expenses they already incurred and may have to face in the future. Attorneys who routinely assist Douglasville patients with medical malpractice claims could review a case and help the claimant understand what forms of compensation may be available.
If you have been hurt by your physician’s carelessness, speak with a Douglasville medical malpractice lawyer. The sooner you take action, the easier it may be to locate and secure the evidence and testimony you may need to succeed in your case. To get started on your case, call today.