Four Elements of a Medical Malpractice Case

Malpractice lawsuits pose a real and significant threat to doctors. They can increase the cost of insurance for physicians and change medical practice.

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

To successfully sue a doctor for malpractice, an aggrieved patient must show each of these legal elements with the preponderance of evidence: breach of duty, breach of duty; causation; damages.

Duty of Care

The primary element of a claim for medical malpractice is that the victim was owed a duty by the doctor that was not met. Medical malpractice claims differ from other negligence claims in that they usually involve a physician-patient relation, which can be established by things like doctor's records or phone consultations. In general, physicians who treat their patients must adhere to accepted standards of their profession and practice.

Doctors may also be held liable for the negligence or incompetence of their staff, like assistants or interns. They can also be held responsible for the actions of emergency personnel who are under their supervision.

The next element that a plaintiff has to prove is that the defendant did not satisfy the standard of medical care in the specific circumstances. This is only able to be proved through expert testimony regarding acceptable medical practices, and the defendant's refusal to follow these guidelines. The second aspect of malpractice is that the breach directly caused injury to the patient. To prove malpractice your lawyer must to prove that the breach of duty by the defendant directly caused your injury or death of a loved one. This is referred to as the proximate cause. For example, if the alleged negligent treatment wouldn't have had a negative effect on your health regardless whether it was executed or not, you wouldn't be able to recover damages for any injuries or wrongful deaths that were allegedly caused by the physician's conduct.

Breach of Duty

A physician who fails in their obligation of care to a client can be held responsible for negligence. In order to be successful in a medical malpractice case, the victim must prove four legal elements that a duty of care or professional care existed and the doctor violated this duty; the breach caused injury; and the injury caused damages. The standard of care is the main component in a medical negligence case, and it's determined by expert testimony. The standard of care is what a "reasonably cautious" doctor would do in similar or identical circumstances.

The breach of this obligation occurs when he or she is not following the standard of care while providing treatment to the patient. For instance, when a doctor breaks the arm of a patient the doctor is not able to properly set the arm or fails to cast the broken arm. A breach by a doctor can make the injured arm to heal incorrectly. This can lead to a partial or complete loss of use and financial damages.

In the majority of instances, medical malpractice lawsuits are filed in state trial courts. However, in certain circumstances federal courts may also take on these cases. The 94 federal district courts across the United States each have a jury panel with a judge who is responsible for hearing these cases. A majority of states have a system of state courts that specialize in these cases, but with different rules for court procedure than federal district courts.

Causation

Doctors swear to protect their patients and should they violate that duty and cause injury, a patient may be legally entitled to compensation for their losses. Medical malpractice claims can also arise when the doctor administers a procedure with known risks and the patient wouldn't have consented to the procedure had they been fully informed.

The plaintiff in a medical malpractice lawyer malpractice lawsuit must prove that the physician did not follow accepted guidelines for practice, and that the failure was a direct cause of the injury or illness that the patient suffered, and that the injury would not have occurred but because of the negligence of a physician. The burden of proof, also known as "preponderance" of evidence is less demanding than "beyond reasonable doubt" that is required to convict criminal defendants.

Medical malpractice lawsuits typically require expert testimony and lengthy pretrial discovery processes. In the event that the case settles or goes to trial, lawyers on both sides have to spend an enormous amount of time and effort preparing for the case. This is the primary reason that malpractice claims are costly for both the patient and the doctor involved, and is one of the main reasons that physicians and health care organizations are in favor of reforming tort law in the United States.

Damages

Victims can be awarded compensation or punitive damages based on the type of medical negligence. Compensation damages compensate the victim for the monetary losses or expenses caused by the negligence of the doctor. This includes loss of income and future medical costs. Non-economic damages include reimbursement for physical and mental anguish.

Medical malpractice lawsuits are typically filed in a state court of trial. However, there are situations in which a lawsuit may be filed in federal court. This is usually the case where a doctor is employed by a federally funded clinic such as the Veterans' Administration, or where the physician is from another country, but is working in the United States under a treaty of extraterritorial jurisdiction.

Medical malpractice lawsuits are largely adversarial in nature and involve large amounts of legal discovery. This includes written interrogatories, depositions, and requests for the production of documents. The victims of medical malpractice will also have to bear the stress of the jury trial, and possibly be at risk of being rejected by a judge or rejected by a jury.

In order to win a medical negligence claim, you must prove that the error or negligence of a medical professional caused your injury. The injury has to be severe enough to warrant a monetary award that would cover your financial losses and emotional stress. Furthermore, New York medical malpractice laws have damage caps as well as other limits on the amount that may be awarded to a person who has a successful claim.