Four Elements of a Medical Malpractice Case

Malpractice lawsuits are a real and feared threat for physicians. They can raise insurance costs for doctors and alter the practice of medicine.

In general, doctors are under a duty to their patients to follow accepted medical practices. This is called the standard of care.

To successfully bring a lawsuit against a doctor who has committed malpractice, an aggrieved patient must be able to prove each of the following legal elements by the preponderance of evidence: m.m.y.bye.1.2 breach of duty; breach of that duty; causation; and damages.

Duty of Care

The first element in a medical malpractice case is that the victim was owed a doctor's duty that was not met. Contrary to other types of negligence cases medical malpractice claims typically involve the existence of a physician-patient relationship, which can be established by means like doctor's records or phone consultations. Generally, physicians who treat patients must adhere to the accepted standards of their profession and practice.

Doctors can also be held responsible for the incompetence or negligence of their staff members, for example, assistants or interns. They could also be held responsible for the actions of emergency personnel under their supervision.

The next element that a plaintiff must prove is that the defendant failed to meet the standard of care under the circumstances. This element can be proven through expert testimony on acceptable medical practices and the defendant's failure to comply with these guidelines. The other element is that the breach directly affected the patient. To prove this your lawyer must establish the direct causality and impact between the defendant's dereliction of duty and your injury or loved one's untimely death. This is called proximate cause. For instance, if the negligent treatment claimed to be negligent was not able to have a negative effect on your health, irrespective of whether or not it was performed in a way that was harmful, you will not be able to win damages for any injuries, or even wrongful death that was believed to be caused by the doctor's actions.

Breach of Duty

A physician who fails in their duty of care towards a client can be held liable for negligence. To prevail in a medical malpractice case, the victim must prove four legal aspects that a duty of professional care was owed and the doctor violated this duty; the breach caused injuries; and the damage caused damages. The first part of a medical malpractice case is the standard of care that is determined by experts' testimony. The standard of care is what an "reasonably cautious" doctor would do in similar or identical circumstances.

The physician's breach of this obligation occurs when he or she is not following the standard of care when giving treatment to the patient. If a physician fractures the arm of a patient, the doctor may fail to cast it correctly. A breach by the doctor causes the injured arm to heal incorrectly. This can result in either a complete or partial loss of use and financial damages.

Medical malpractice cases are filed in state trial courts, although under limited circumstances federal courts may be able to hear these cases. Each of the 94 federal district courts in the United States has a judge-jury panel that hears medical malpractice cases. Many states have a distinct system of state courts that handle these issues. However, they are subject to different rules of court procedures than federal district courts.

Causation

Doctors swear to not cause harm, and if they fail to uphold the oath and cause injury patients may be legally entitled to compensation for their losses. A medical malpractice claim can also be brought when a doctor administers a procedure with known risks and the patient would not have agreed to the procedure if they had been fully informed.

The plaintiff in a medical negligence case must prove that the doctor did not comply with accepted guidelines for practice, and that this negligence was a direct cause for the illness or injury the patient was suffering from, and that the injury could not have occurred if it weren't for the physician's negligence. This burden of proof is referred to as the "preponderance of the evidence" standard, which is less demanding than the "beyond a reasonable doubt" standard used to convict criminal defendants.

Medical malpractice lawsuits typically involve expert witnesses and lengthy pre-trial discovery hearings. If the case is settled or goes to trial, attorneys on both sides spend significant time and resources preparing for the issue. This is one reason that malpractice claims are expensive for both the plaintiff and the doctor affected, and is one of the reasons that doctors and health care organizations are in favor of reforming tort law in the United States.

Damages

Victims may be awarded compensatory or punitive damages, based on the kind of medical negligence. Compensatory damages compensate patients for the financial losses and Attorney expenses due to the negligence of the doctor like loss of income or the costs of future medical care. Non-economic damages could include the compensation for physical and mental anguish.

Medical malpractice lawsuits are usually filed in a state trial court. However, there are some instances where a lawsuit can be filed in federal court. This is usually the case where a physician is employed by an institution that is funded by federal funds such as the Veteran's Administration, or when the doctor is from a different country and is practicing in the United States under a treaty of extraterritorial jurisdiction.

Medical malpractice lawsuits are adversarial and require extensive legal discovery. This includes written interrogatories, depositions, as well as requests for documents. The victims of alleged medical negligence may also have to face a jury trial and may be in danger of their claim being rejected by a judge, or dismissed by a jury.

To be successful in a medical malpractice law firm malfeasance claim, you must show that the medical negligence or error caused your injury. The injury must be severe enough to warrant a financial award that would cover your financial losses and emotional stress. New York medical malpractice law also has specific damage caps, as well as limits on the amount a patient can receive should they be successful in filing an claim.