Wytheville Medical Malpractice Lawyer
What Is Medical Malpractice?
Malpractice is a type of professional negligence. A medical professional owes patients a duty of care. Unfortunately, for various reasons, they fail to meet their obligations. Some professionals who commit malpractice include:
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Physicians
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Nurses
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Dentists
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Radiologists
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Anesthetists
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Pharmacists
Hospitals and nursing homes can also commit malpractice, which would make them liable for patient injuries.
Often, a critical issue in dispute is whether the medical professional followed the correct standard of care. A doctor cannot guarantee to heal you, but they should use the skills and experience of other professionals in their field. At The Jackson Law Group, we can network with expert witnesses to review the treatment you received and determine if it was adequate.
Examples of Wytheville Medical Malpractice
Malpractice injures patients and claims lives. Some common examples include:
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Prescription errors. A doctor might prescribe an inappropriate drug for your condition, or a pharmacist could provide the wrong medication. Because they are taking the wrong medication, patients do not get better, or else they suffer an allergic reaction.
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Treatment errors. A doctor could fail to perform treatment properly, or a nurse could dispense the wrong medication.
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Surgical errors. Many things go wrong in the operating theater. A surgeon might remove the wrong body part or leave a sponge or clamp in the patient. Surgeons can also damage healthy tissue or fail to stop bleeding before sewing a patient up.
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Infections. Improper sterilization can lead to rampant infections in hospitals and nursing homes. Some of these infections are resistant to antibiotics, which makes them very hard to treat.
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Early discharge from the hospital. A hospital should not send a patient home too early, otherwise the patient can end up back in the emergency room.
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Diagnostic errors. A doctor could fail to make a timely and correct diagnosis, which delays treatment.
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Birth injuries. Babies and mothers can suffer devastating injuries during labor and delivery. Violent births can result in fractured clavicles, blindness, and facial injuries. A disruption in blood or oxygen to the baby can also cause brain injuries.
These are some of the most common medical errors. Call us to speak with a Wytheville medical malpractice attorney.
Steps In A Medical Malpractice Claim
Often, patients don’t know if they receive inadequate medical care. All they know is their condition has failed to improve or they feel even sicker. Our lawyers can walk you through the steps in a typical malpractice claim:
1. Investigation and evidence gathering. We seek to find out what happened. Doctors and hospitals often fail to cooperate, so we might need to subpoena records to review the care you received.
2. Consultation with medical experts. We work closely with expert witnesses to identify what course of action a competent doctor would have taken to treat you and assess whether your medical team fell short.
3. Litigation strategy. We want to identify how much the malpractice has cost you and the severity of your pain or disability. These factors can impact our legal strategy.
4. Litigation. We must file a lawsuit before the statute of limitations expires. Code of Virginia § 8.01-243 gives you two years in most situations, but some patients might get less.
5. Negotiation and attempted settlement. We will try to reach a settlement with the defendant’s legal team for meaningful compensation. This will allow you to avoid a trial.
6. Trial. Where settlement is impossible, The Jackson Law Group will present evidence and arguments to a jury.
The other side is usually represented by a powerful malpractice insurer who has defended thousands of cases. You should hire an experienced lawyer to represent you during this process. The lawyers at The Jackson Law Group know the most common tricks used by insurance companies and their legal teams.
Medical Malpractice Damages
Medical errors end up costing many patients a small fortune. Even those with insurance can spend thousands of dollars, and many people can’t return to work when they had hoped.
Our Wytheville medical malpractice attorneys can seek damages for:
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Corrective surgery
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Additional medical care and prescription drugs
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Rehabilitation
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Hospital stays
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Doctor’s visits
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Income loss
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Pain and suffering
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Mental anguish
Medical errors are also one of the leading causes of death in the nation. If you lost a loved one, our lawyers might recommend filing a wrongful death action against the hospital or provider. We can seek compensation for your damages because of the death, including lost services and lost financial support.
Why The Jackson Law Group?
Medical malpractice cases are among the most difficult to win. Hospitals and doctors do not easily admit liability for any mistakes. Instead, patients require expert legal help to build a claim for compensation. If hired, our lawyers will:
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Review your medical records to identify the severity of your injuries and what treatment you received;
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Work with experts to build the factual basis of your claim;
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Analyze recent malpractice settlements and verdicts to gauge the value of your claim;
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Obtain relevant evidence for use in your case;
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Conduct depositions to uncover additional useful information;
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Negotiate your case with the defendant’s legal team for top compensation.
Consult A Wytheville, VA Medical Malpractice Lawyer
Medical errors are incredibly frustrating. Patients expect doctors and hospitals to help them heal. Instead, shoddy medical care ends up leaving patients in more pain than when they walked in the door. Please call The Jackson Law Group today to review your legal right to file a medical malpractice claim.