Wilkes-Barre Medical Malpractice Lawyer
When you are sick or injured, you place your health into a doctor’s hands. Most of the time, doctors are worthy of that trust and offer the best medical care possible. Sometimes however, doctors and other healthcare professionals are negligent and it results in great harm to the patient. When this happens, you have the right to recover compensation from them that can help with your additional medical expenses, lost income and more. Medical malpractice cases are some of the most challenging personal injury cases to pursue. Before filing a claim, you should speak to a Wilkes-Barre medical malpractice lawyer.
What is Medical Malpractice?
Not every negative outcome or unsuccessful treatment is medical malpractice. However, doctors and healthcare professionals are expected to provide a certain standard of care. When they deviate from that standard, it is considered medical negligence and therefore, medical malpractice. Some common types of medical negligence include:
- Misdiagnosis
- Delayed diagnosis
- Failure to treat
- Surgical errors
- Birth injuries
- Defective medical equipment
In most cases of medical malpractice, the treating healthcare professional can be held liable. In others, such as in the case of defective medical equipment, manufacturers can be held liable.
What is the Standard of Care?
Standard of care is a legal and medical concept all medical malpractices cases rest on. Patients unfortunately, don’t often know what the term means. The standard of care is a guideline all healthcare professionals must follow. These guidelines are created by the medical community and dictate what tests should be ordered when patients show certain symptoms, or what procedures to use for certain illnesses.
In Pennsylvania, all medical malpractice cases require a certificate of merit. This certificate is a statement from another doctor in the same field of medicine as the doctor being accused of negligence. Within their statement, the doctor must state whether they would have acted differently and if they believe the accused doctor deviated from the standard of care.
If you can obtain this certificate of merit for your case, there is a good chance the healthcare professional deviated from the standard of care and that you have a valid claim. Other evidence that can prove a healthcare professional did not provide the proper standard of care is your medical chart, the doctor’s notes, and the history of care provided.
Hurt by Medical Negligence? Call Our Wilkes-Barre Medical Malpractice Lawyers
No one should ever be hurt by a doctor or other medical professional that was trusted to get them back into good health. If you’ve been a victim of medical malpractice, it’s important to file a claim for compensation to recover expenses and other losses you’ve incurred. Due to the fact that these are some of the most complex personal injury claims, you need a Wilkes-Barre medical malpractice lawyer that has the necessary experience and a proven track record with these types of claims.
At O’Donnell Law Offices, we have helped many patients recover the compensation they need after being a victim of medical negligence and we want to help you, too. Call us today at (570) 821-5717 to schedule your free consultation so we can get started reviewing your case.
