Medical Malpractice Litigation

Medical malpractice litigation can be complicated and time-consuming. It is also expensive for both the plaintiff and defendant.

To receive compensation in the form of monetary damages for malpractice, a patient must establish that the substandard medical treatment caused their injury. This requires establishing four pillars of law which include professional obligation and breach of this duty, injury and damages.

Discovery

One of the most crucial parts of a medical malpractice investigation is obtaining evidence by means of written interrogatories as well as requests for the production of evidence. Interrogatories consist of questions that the opposing party must respond to under oath. They can be used to establish the facts that will be presented at trial. Documents that are requested to be produced permit tangible evidence to be retrieved, such as medical records or test results.

In many cases your attorney will record the deposition of a defendant physician in an recorded session of questions and answers. This permits your lawyer to ask the physician or witness questions that would not be permitted at trial. This is extremely effective in cases with expert witnesses.

The information you gather during pretrial discovery is used in court to prove the following elements of your claim:

Breach of the standard of care

Injuries resulting from the violation of the standard of care

Proximate causation

A doctor's inability to utilize the degree of competence and expertise of physicians in their field of specialization and that resulted in injury to the patient

Mediation

Medical malpractice trials can be important, but they also come with many drawbacks. For plaintiffs the pressure, cost, and time commitment of a trial can result in a negative psychological impact on them. For health professionals who are defendants trial may result in humiliation and a loss of prestige. It can also result in negative effects on their career and practice since the financial benefits received as part of a pretrial settlement are typically reported to national practitioner databanks states medical licensing boards, and medical societies.

Mediation is the most cost-effective, time-efficient and efficient method of settling an injury claim. By avoiding the cost of trial and the risk of eroding jury verdicts allows both parties to be more flexible in their settlement negotiations.

Both parties must provide an overview of the dispute for the mediator prior to mediation (a "mediation short"). In this stage, parties will typically communicate via their lawyer and not directly with one another. Direct communication could be used as evidence in court. As the mediation continues, it is best to focus on the strengths of your case, and be prepared to acknowledge its weaknesses as well. This will allow the mediator to make sense of any gaps and make an acceptable offer.

Trial

The aim of those who work on tort reform is to establish an insurance system that compensates people who are injured by physician negligence promptly and without excessive cost. While this is a problem however, many states have implemented tort reforms to reduce costs and stop frivolous medical malpractice claims.

The majority of physicians in the United States have malpractice insurance as a way to protect themselves from claims of professional negligence. Certain of these policies are required as a condition of hospital privileges or employment with a medical malpractice lawyer organization.

To be compensated for injuries resulting from the negligence of a medical professional the patient who has suffered injury must prove that the doctor's actions did not meet the standards of care that is applicable to the profession they practice. This is referred to as proximate causation and it is a key element in a medical malpractice attorney malpractice case.

A lawsuit begins when an order for civil summons is filed with the appropriate court. After this the parties have to engage in a process of disclosure. This can be done through written interrogatories, as well as the issuance of documents, like medical records. It also involves depositions (deponents are confronted by attorneys under the oath) and requests for admission which are declarations that one side would like the other to admit, either in full or part.

The burden of proof in medical malpractice cases is very high and the damages awarded will take into consideration both actual economic loss like lost income, the expense of future medical expenses as well as non-economic losses, such pain and suffering. It is important to partner with a skilled attorney when pursuing a medical malpractice claim.

Settlement

Settlements are the most common method to settle medical malpractice lawsuits. In general, the actual dollar value of a case is negotiated between the plaintiff and the defendants (often through or alongside the defendant's malpractice/professional liability insurer). The result is a check for the patient, which is then given to the plaintiff's lawyer who deposit it into an account for escrow. The attorney then deducts case costs and legal fees according to the representation agreement, and then provides the injured person with payment.

In order to win a medical malpractice lawsuit, a patient must show that a doctor or healthcare provider violated their duty of care by failing to show the required level of knowledge and expertise in their field. They must also prove that the victim suffered injury due to the breach.

In the United States, there are 94 federal district courts which are similar to state trial courts. Each of these courts has an ad-hoc jury and judge panel, which hears cases. In certain instances a medical negligence case can be transferred to one of these federal district courts. In the United States, physicians carry medical malpractice insurance to protect themselves from claims of harm that is not intentional. Doctors must be aware of the structure and function of our legal system in order they can respond in a timely manner to claims made against them.