Four Elements of a Medical Malpractice Case

Physicians fear malpractice lawsuits as real threats. They can increase insurance costs and Medical malpractice lawsuits can alter the practice of medicine.

In general, doctors are under the obligation to their patients to follow accepted medical practices. This is referred to as the "standard of care.

To successfully claim a doctor's malpractice, an aggrieved patient must prove each of the following legal elements by the preponderance evidence: breach of duty, breach of that duty; causation; and damages.

Duty of Care

The first thing to consider in a medical malpractice case is that the person injured was owed a duty of a doctor that was violated. medical malpractice law firm malpractice claims are different from other negligence claims in that they typically involve a patient-physician relationship, which is established through documents from a doctor or telephone consultations. Generally, physicians who treat patients must adhere to the standards that are accepted in their profession and practice.

However, doctors may also be held accountable for the negligence of their employees, such as interns or assistants. They can also be held accountable for the actions of emergency personnel under their supervision.

The plaintiff then has to show that the defendant did not conform to the standard of care in the circumstances. This can be proved with expert testimony about acceptable medical practices and the defendant's failure to comply with these standards. The second element of malpractice is that this breach directly caused harm to the patient. To prove this your lawyer must prove an immediate cause and effect between the defendant's breach of duty and your injuries or loved one's death. This is referred to as causal proximate. If, for example, the alleged negligent act did not have a negative effect on your health, regardless of whether or not it was done, you won't be able claim damages for any injuries or death, that were allegedly cause by the physician's behavior.

Breach of Duty

A physician who fails to meet their duty of care towards the client may be held liable for negligence. To prevail in a medical malpractice suit the person who suffered must prove four things: that there was a duty of care and the doctor breached the obligation, that the breach resulted in injuries, and then the injury resulted in damages. The primary element of a claim for medical malpractice centers around the standard of care which is determined by expert testimony. The standard of care is the amount an "reasonably cautious" doctor would do in similar or similar circumstances.

A physician violates this duty when he or her deviates from the normal care of the patient. If a doctor breaks the arm of a patient, they might fail to cast the arm correctly. A doctor's breach causes the broken arm to heal improperly. This could lead to either a complete or partial loss of use and financial damages.

In the majority of instances, medical malpractice lawsuits are filed in state trial courts. However under certain circumstances federal courts can consider these claims. Each of the 94 federal district courts in the United States has a judge-jury panel that hears medical malpractice cases. Most states have a system of state courts that specialize in these matters, albeit with different court procedures than federal district courts.

Causation

A patient could be entitled to compensation for damages if medical professionals fail to perform their obligation to not cause harm. Medical malpractice claims can also arise when the doctor administers a procedure with known risks, and the patient would not have agreed to the procedure if they had been fully informed.

In a medical malpractice lawsuit the plaintiff must demonstrate that the doctor's actions were not in accordance with accepted standards of practice. The failure to follow the standard of care must have been the main cause of any injury or illness that the patient suffered, and the ailment would never be the case if it wasn't for the physician’s negligence. This burden of proof is also known as the "preponderance of evidence" standard which is less stringent than the "beyond a reasonable doubt" standard required to convict criminal defendants.

Medical malpractice lawsuits typically include expert witnesses and lengthy pretrial discovery processes. If the case is settled or goes to trial, the attorneys on both sides invest an enormous amount of time and effort preparing for the issue. This is why malpractice lawsuits are costly for both the plaintiff and physician involved. It is one of the primary reasons why physicians and health care organizations support efforts to reform tort laws in the United States.

Damages

Victims can receive punitive or compensatory damages depending on the nature of medical negligence. Compensation damages compensate the patient for the monetary losses or expenses resulting from the doctor's negligence. This includes income loss and future medical costs. Non-economic damages include compensation for physical pain and mental anguish.

Medical malpractice lawsuits are filed in state trial courts. However, there are certain situations where a suit could be filed in federal court. This is typically where a doctor works at a federally funded facility such as the Veteran's Administration, or if the physician is from another country but is practicing in the United States under a treaty of extraterritorial jurisdiction.

Medical malpractice lawsuits are mostly adversarial and involve an extensive legal discovery. This includes written interrogatories and depositions as well as requests for documents. Victims of alleged medical negligence could also be subject to the pressure of an open jury trial and could be in danger of having their claim dismissed by a judge or dismissed by the jury.

You must prove that medical negligence, or error was the cause of your injury to be able to make a lawsuit for medical malpractice. The damage must be severe enough to warrant a financial settlement that will cover your financial losses as well as emotional distress. Additionally, New York medical malpractice laws provide for damages caps and other limitations on the amount which can be awarded to a person who has a successful claim.