Why You Need a Medical Malpractice Lawyer

A medical malpractice lawyer helps injured victims get compensation for their losses. The common law system governs medical malpractice claims.

In the common law, doctors must observe the standard of care when treating their patients. If a physician violates accepted medical practice and results in injury or death, the doctor may be held responsible for negligence.

Duty of Care

Medical professionals are expected to adhere to a set of standards that are accepted by the medical profession as being reasonable and prudent when providing healthcare. If the standards aren't met and that failure causes injuries or health issues the patient could be able to bring a medical malpractice lawsuit.

The first part of a malpractice claim involves establishing that you had a doctor-patient relationship with the healthcare provider and that the entity or person had a legal obligation to act in a reasonable way. You must then prove that the breach occurred. This is usually done through the recourse to expert witnesses who can provide an objective analysis and assessment of the case.

The expert witness can determine if the defendant's actions were less than the accepted standard in your situation. To enable the expert to make this determination, they will need to be able review your medical records and conduct an examination or interview with you.

You must also demonstrate that the breach directly led to your injury. This is known as causation and it is the third element in a negligence claim. In most instances, Medical Malpractice Lawyer you'll need to have an exact cause-and-effect link between the breach of duty and the subsequent injury. A misdiagnosis, for example can result in the wrong medication being prescribed or treatment being given. This could cause an adverse reaction, such as a heart attack.

Breach of Duty

Like all doctors physicians, doctors are legally bound by an obligation to act with care and prudence. Doctors are held to an elevated standard, however, because they are medical experts who make life-or-death decisions. The duty of care can be found in laws and standards for certain types of treatments and procedures.

One of the first things that must be established in a negligence claim is that the defendant was bound by a duty care to the plaintiff. It must be established that the defendant did not fulfill this obligation of care. This means that the doctor failed to meet the standards of care appropriate to the circumstances. The quality of care is usually determined by what an ordinary person would do in similar situations. For example, a reasonable driver wouldn't run when there is a red light.

In a malpractice case expert witnesses could be needed to testify on the standard of care that was breached and how the standard was violated. They can also explain how the injury occurred and what could have been done to prevent it from occurring.

Damages

In the United States, physicians are required to carry malpractice insurance in order to cover any losses that might arise from medical negligence. To be able to file a claim the plaintiff will need to show both financial losses (such medical expenses and lost wages), as well as noneconomic losses (such suffering and pain).

The amount of compensation you receive in a successful lawsuit depends on how well your New York medical malpractice attorney fights for your losses. Your lawyer will determine your medically required expenses through a thorough review of your medical records, the testimony of experts and the assistance of economic experts. In order to prove your loss of earnings Your medical malpractice lawyer should also prove the number of days you were absent from work due to your medical issues and the fact that these absences were due to the negligence of the defendant.

Non-economic damages are more difficult to prove. You may need the assistance of an expert witness who can detail your physical, mental and emotional pain that is directly resulting from the defendant's negligence. Loss of consortium is another kind of non-economic loss. This is the inability to have a romantic, sexual connection with your spouse, or any other significant individual as you once did. The lawyer representing the defendant may challenge your non-economic damages in the form of interrogatories, depositions, along with requests for documents and sworn declarations.

Statute of limitations

As in every state, New York has a statute of limitations that must be fulfilled prior to a medical malpractice lawsuits negligence case can be filed. If not the court will not dismiss the case. A New York medical malpractice attorney who is knowledgeable will be familiar with the specifics of these deadlines and will ensure that your claim is filed prior to the deadlines set forth by law.

In the majority of cases, a victim of medical negligence is required to be able to file a lawsuit within two and a half years from the time the act or omission committed by a health care provider caused the injury or death. As with all laws this one is not without exceptions. For instance, if the error committed by the health professional was part of a continuous course of treatment, then the "clock" of 30 months will not begin until the treatment has been completed or the patient is informed of the diagnosis.

Additionally, medical malpractice lawyer in some cases like when a foreign object is left in the body after surgery or treatment, it might not be possible for a patient to discover that there was a problem until much later. To tackle this issue, the majority of states have embraced what is known as the discovery rule. This allows injured victims in certain circumstances to extend their timeframes. Your lawyer will be aware of the specific rules in your state and will carefully look over your case's timeline in order to avoid administrative errors that can derail your claim.