The medical profession has an obligation under law to adhere to certain standards when treating patients. If you suffered injury or even died due to a breach of this obligation and you were injured, compensation may be offered.
The first step is establishing that the doctor or hospital who treated you had a legal obligation. This requires you to examine your medical records as well as any other documents.
Duty of care
The English common law forms the basis for current medical malpractice laws. It is an established legal system that was developed through the decisions of judges and courts rather than through executive orders or legislative statutes.
To prevail in a malpractice lawsuit, the plaintiff’s lawyer must prove that the physician or hospital was bound by a duty of care to the person who was injured. This includes the obligation to adhere to accepted medical standards. This obligation includes the duty to inform patients of known risks associated with a procedure or treatment. A doctor’s duty to care is breached if they fail to do this.
Defects in the duty of care are frequent in medical malpractice cases. The injury or damage has to be directly caused by the breach. For instance, a surgeon who is unable to conduct further tests based on the basis of symptoms may be guilty.
A patient may prove that a doctor or health professional has violated their duty of care by giving an expert evidence. They must have the same qualifications and education as the medical professional alleged to have violated their duty of care.
In addition to expert testimony, a plaintiff’s lawyer must present evidence of damages. This can include medical reports, X-rays and laboratory reports. A medical malpractice lawyer could employ an independent examiner to evaluate the plaintiff’s injuries. These examinations will provide a more realistic picture of how serious the injury might have been, and also help the plaintiff’s case.
Breach of duty
You could be entitled to compensation if a health professional breaches a legal obligation owed to you as a patient, and this breach causes you to suffer an injury or contract illness. It is essential to prove that the doctor was negligent. This can be a challenge.
Medical malpractice claims are based on the legal system known as common law. This is an unwritten system of law that was created by the decisions of courts and judges, not legislative statutes. Each state has its own laws regarding what is medical malpractice. Your attorney can help explain the laws in your state.
In New York, physicians are required to follow strict standards of care when treating their patients. This standard is defined as the care that an ethical and prudent healthcare provider would offer in similar circumstances. To prove negligence, your lawyer must first show that the doctor did not adhere to the standard of care and that this failure caused you harm.
A breach of the standard of care could take a variety of forms. For example surgeons may cut off the wrong limb during surgery leaving you with limited mobility or needing additional surgeries to restore function. Your lawyer must also show that the doctor’s actions and omissions caused your injuries or lawsuits health issues. This is referred to as proving causation.
Causation
In medical malpractice lawsuits the plaintiff must establish all elements of negligence which includes breach of duty, breach, cause and harm. Generally this requires the plaintiff to present expert testimony demonstrating that the doctor’s actions, or inactions, deviated from the standard of care and led to injuries. The defense will then have the opportunity to question the expert who was consulted by the plaintiff and contest their findings.
A doctor or healthcare provider can also take advantage of defenses to avoid the liability of medical negligence. For instance, they may argue that the injury suffered by the patient was due to an underlying condition or other cause beyond their control. A New York medical malpractice attorney can help prove the injury was caused by a medical professional’s breach in duty.
Medical malpractice lawyers can assist their clients get fair compensation for their injuries, regardless of defenses utilized by doctors. A substantial settlement or verdict from a jury can help pay for lawsuits medical costs, cover other expenses, and even cover future needs.
While there is no way to remove the suffering, pain and trauma caused by a medical error but a financial settlement can aid victims to get back on their feet. It is important to bring a case before the statute of limitation applicable to you expires so that you can protect your rights and to have any claims heard by a legal court.
Damages
Medical negligence occurs when a healthcare provider offers substandard medical treatment that causes injury or aggravation of an existing medical condition. This can include failure to identify a condition, injury, surgical mistakes, and much more. In certain states, patients who have been the victim of medical malpractice can file claims for damages to seek compensation.
To prevail in a lawsuit for malpractice, you must prove four legal elements: a professional obligation due to you; breach of the duty, causation, injuries; and damages. Your attorney will spend time going through the vast medical records and conducting on-the-record interviews with your medical professional, the doctor who treated you, as well as experts in your case.
Economic awards are a way to compensate you for financial losses, including the cost of additional corrective treatment and lost income. Your New York medical malpractice lawyer can assist you in determining the right amount. Noneconomic awards such as suffering and pain are more subjective. Your attorney and you must convince the jury that the doctor made an error that negatively affected your standard of living.
It could take a number of months or even years to receive the compensation that you deserve. The results of medical negligence can be devastating for patients, and leave them with a long-lasting psychological, physical and financial strains.