What Is a Medical Malpractice Claim?

A medical malpractice claim is filed by the patient who complains about the carelessness of a healthcare professional. The patient (or the estate of the patient if the patient died) must show that the negligence resulted in injury or harm.

Medical malpractice lawsuits are usually filed in state trial courts. The patient who is aggrieved must demonstrate four legal elements to win a case:

Duty of care

In any legal claim in any legal matter, the plaintiff must demonstrate that a third party or entity was liable to them for a duty of care and failed to fulfill this obligation. In medical malpractice cases, it is the responsibility of doctors to provide the appropriate standard of care to their patients. Expert testimony is usually used to establish this.

Expert witnesses help to determine the appropriate medical standards and then prove that a physician did not follow these standards in their treatment of the patient. A plaintiff's medical malpractice attorney must then show that this deviation was directly accountable for the injury of the victim.

Expert testimony is crucial because jurors are usually not knowledgeable about anatomy and have watched a lot medical dramas. This is particularly important when it comes to medical malpractice claims, as it can be difficult to establish a standard of care. In a medical malpractice case the standard of care is referred to the level of skill in the treatment, its quality and the level of diligence displayed by other physicians in similar specialties in similar circumstances.

Typically, experts in medical malpractice cases are surgeons or physicians with similar training and board certifications. Due to the "conspiracy of silence" among many doctors (a term lawyers employ to describe the tendency of doctors not to testify against each other), it can be challenging to find an expert who is qualified to testify against a colleague regarding the care that is not up to par.

Breach of duty

If a doctor commits an error that harms the patient, it is considered medical malpractice. These errors can cause new injuries or exacerbate existing ones. Medical malpractice lawyers malpractice claims can be difficult to prove due to complex laws and issues. However, a skilled medical malpractice lawyer will review the facts of your case to determine whether a doctor breached his or her obligation to the patient.

Your attorney will establish a doctor-patient relation between you and your doctor that is required for any malpractice claim. Your attorney will also review your physician's actions and decisions to determine if they complied with what is referred to as the standard of care for doctors with similar training, experience and geographic location in your state.

Physicians have a responsibility to their patients to adhere to these standards without omission or deviation. A breach of duty implies that the physician did not meet your expectations and caused you injury.

Proving a breach of duty is typically straightforward with the help of the research of your attorney and expert witnesses. Experts can prove that the doctor's actions didn't meet the standard of medical treatment and also explain why another medical professional would have acted differently in similar circumstances. Your lawyer must also link the breach of duty to your injuries and damages. Your attorney will examine your medical documents, test and prescription results, imaging scans and prescriptions in order to build solid evidence that the breach of duty committed by your doctor directly led to your injuries.

Causation

Medical errors can increase the dangers of most treatments. In order to prove causation, the patient has to show that there is a direct link between the negligence of the doctor and their injury. In many cases, expert witness is required as well as assistance from an attorney for medical malpractice.

Medical errors can include, for example, misdiagnosing serious ailments or illnesses. If a doctor fails to recognize cancer or any other medical condition could have grave consequences for patients. In this instance the patient may suffer unnecessarily pain and may even die. In failing to recognize the condition properly the doctor could have committed a lapse of judgment.

Finding out if your doctor or hospital was negligent in their treatment of you isn't easy and takes a lot of time. Evidence could come from a number of sources, including medical records, test results, expert witness testimony and depositions. An attorney can help you locate and interpret the evidence, and also represent you during the deposition process.

It is important to note that only healthcare professionals are liable for malpractice. In contrast to receptionists in medical centers nurses and doctors are expected to act in accordance to the standard of care. That means that a medical professional must be able to anticipate the consequences from their skills and knowledge.

Damages

In medical malpractice cases, judges will hear about monetary compensations designed to compensate injured patients. These damages may include past and future medical bills as well as lost wages, the disfigurement caused by pain and suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life. In some cases punitive damages can also be awarded; these are reserved for particularly egregious actions that society is interested in deterring.

A medical malpractice case typically begins with the filing a civil summons or complaint in court. The parties will follow up with discovery. It is a process which requires the plaintiff and medical malpractice Lawyers defendants to make statements under oath. This may include requesting documents like medical records as well as deposing parties who are involved in a lawsuit and interviewing witnesses.

One of the primary elements to prove in a medical negligence case is that the physician had an obligation under law to provide medical treatment and care to the patient. The second element to prove is that the doctor acted in breach of this duty by failing adhere to the medical standard of care. The third factor is that the breach resulted in harm to the patient.

It is vital to note that the statute of limitations (the legally prescribed period within which a medical malpractice claim must be filed) differs from state to state. In New York, the statute of limitations is two years and six months (30 months) from the date when the underlying incident of medical malpractice took place.