When do you need a medical malpractice attorney? Instances of medical malpractice continue to rise but the strange thing is that most people seem to just accept a mistake on the part of the doctor or hospital as being just one of those things. When damage or harm has been caused due to misdiagnosis, wrong medications given, or some other type of negligence, it would seem that people would take the situation more seriously.
Perhaps one of the problems is that it has become standard procedure in the US that before a patient undergoes a major treatment or surgery, they are required to sign a waiver form. This waiver allegedly protects the hospital’s back side in case something goes wrong or does not turn out as expected. I say “allegedly” because that document does not relieve the doctor or hospital of acts of negligence that cause harm, damage, or even death to the patient.
Are medical professionals not allowed to make mistakes? In a word, no, not when it comes to making decisions where their action or inaction causes damage or even death to a patient. If you buy an airline ticket from New York to Houston and the plane lands in Minneapolis because of navigation errors that the pilot made, is that acceptable to you? Of course not because you hold the pilot responsible for getting you to where your ticket says you are going to end up. In the same way, you hold the doctor and hospital responsible for administering the standard of professional care that is required for a patient, and when that level of trust for that care is violated due to negligence or errors on the part of the doctor or hospital, you have rights.
When seeking the services of a medical malpractice attorney, choosing the appropriate legal counsel is much more than just thumbing through the yellow pages. Remember, this attorney is going to be working on your behalf to get the best settlement possible based on the circumstances, so you should spend some time to interview each potential attorney that you may consider. How long have they been working with medical malpractice suits? What is their track record of successful outcomes? Are they intimately familiar with malpractice law, both at the federal level as well as how those laws apply in your state?
Do not be concerned about the fees that a medical malpractice attorney may charge. It is common practice for the lawyer to take a defined percentage of the settlement amount, and if there is no settlement, meaning the lawyer failed to win your case, then there is no payment due.
You have rights, and if you or a family member has been harmed due to negligence, in action, misdiagnosis or other types of errors, it is clearly time to find a medical malpractice attorney where you can discuss your particular situation and determine if this is something that should be taken forward. While a settlement will not right the wrongs that happened, it can make it easier for you to move forward for your future.
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