Four Elements of a Medical Malpractice Case

Malpractice lawsuits pose a real and feared threat for physicians. They can increase insurance costs and can affect medical practice.

In general doctors owe patients a obligation to adhere to accepted medical practices without any deviation or infraction. This is known as the standard of care.

To sue a physician over malpractice, a patient must establish the following elements using a preponderance of proof: medical breach of duty, causation, and damages.

Duty of Care

The primary element of a medical malpractice claim is that the party who suffered was legally obligated by the doctor who was not fulfilled. As opposed to other types cases, medical malpractice claims often require a relationship between doctor and patient. This is established through things such as doctor's medical records and phone consultations. Generally, physicians who treat patients must follow the accepted standards of their profession and practice.

Doctors could also be held liable for the negligence or incompetence of their staff, such as interns or assistants. Furthermore, they can be held liable for the actions of emergency medical personnel who are working under their supervision.

The next element a plaintiff needs to establish is that the defendant did not satisfy the standard of medical care in the circumstances. This element can be proven with expert testimony about acceptable medical practices and the defendant's refusal to adhere to these guidelines. The second aspect is that the breach directly affected the patient. To prove that you have committed a crime the lawyer you hire to show that the defendant's breach of duty directly caused your injury or the death of a loved one. This is referred to as proximate cause. For instance, if the negligent treatment alleged to have caused the injury would not have had a negative impact on your health, regardless of whether it was done or not, you won't be able to claim damages for any injuries or deaths that were resulted from the negligence of the doctor.

Breach of Duty

A physician who fails to fulfill their obligation of professional care to a patient may be held accountable for negligence. To prevail in a medical malpractice case, the victim must prove four legal aspects which include: a duty to provide professional care was in place and the doctor breached this duty; the breach caused injury, and the injury led to damages. The first aspect of a medical malpractice claim is the standard of care which is determined through experts' testimony. The standard of care is defined as the things that a "reasonably prudent" doctor would perform in the same or similar circumstances.

A doctor is in violation of this obligation when he or she deviates from the normal care of the patient. If a physician fractures the arm of a patient they may not be able to cast the arm correctly. The doctor's lapse in duty causes the injured arm to heal improperly, resulting in partial or full loss of use and monetary damages.

Medical malpractice cases are brought in state trial courts. However, under certain conditions, federal courts may also be able to hear these cases. Each of the 94 federal district courts in the United States has a judge-jury panel that is able to hear medical malpractice cases. The majority of states have a special system of state courts that deal with these cases. However, they have different rules for court procedures than federal district courts.

Causation

A patient could be entitled compensation for any damages suffered by medical professionals fail to perform their obligation to not cause harm. A medical malpractice claim may occur when a physician chooses to perform a treatment that has risks and the patient would not have opted out of the procedure if fully aware of all potential consequences.

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

Lawsuits alleging medical malpractice lawyers malpractice often require expert testimony and lengthy pre-trial discovery hearings. If the case is settled or goes to trial, attorneys from both sides spend considerable time and resources in preparing for the matter. This is a major reason why malpractice claims are costly to both the plaintiff and the medical professional involved, and it is one of the reasons that doctors and health care groups are a part of efforts to reform tort law in the United States.

Damages

Depending on the kind of medical negligence, victims can recover compensatory and punitive damages. Compensatory damages compensate patients for monetary losses and expenses due to the negligence of the doctor for example, loss of income or cost of future medical care. Non-economic damages are compensation for physical pain as well as mental stress.

Medical malpractice claims are generally filed in a state trial court. There are a few instances where the lawsuit may be filed in federal courts. It is usually the case when doctors are employed by a federally-funded medical clinic such as the Veteran's Administration, or in the case of a doctor who is from another country, but is working in the United States as part of an agreement that confers extraterritorial authority.

Lawsuits alleging medical malpractice lawyer malpractice are mostly adversarial and involve large amounts of legal discovery. This includes written interrogatories, depositions as well as requests for documents. Victims of alleged medical malpractice could also be subject to the pressure of a jury trial and may face the threat of being rejected by a judge, or dismissed by jurors.

To win a medical malpractice claim, you must show that the medical negligence or error caused your injury. The injury must be serious enough to warrant a financial award that would cover your financial losses as well as emotional stress. In addition, New York medical malpractice laws have specific damages caps and other limitations on the amount that could be awarded to a patient who successfully makes a claim.