When you are injured, sick, or need medical help, you put your trust in the healthcare providers who handle your diagnosis and treatment. Doctors, dentists, nurses, therapists, and other healthcare specialists receive training in their areas of expertise. But even under the care of experts, treatment sometimes goes wrong. Even specially trained healthcare providers sometimes make mistakes. Medical malpractice occurs when a medical professional engages in unusual or incorrect treatment methods that deviate from the acceptable norms within their discipline, resulting in an adverse effect on a patient.
Whether you experienced a misdiagnosis, surgical error, or another form of medical malpractice, you could be eligible for financial compensation. Understanding medical malpractice law is confusing, but you have the right to seek a Washington DC medical malpractice lawyer. Ben Crump Law, PLLC, is available to discuss your case and answer any questions you may have. Call 800-641-8998 for your free consultation.
Types of Medical Malpractice
According to Studies in Health Technology and Informatics, over 250,000 deaths occur each year because of medical errors. Keep in mind that this number does not include emotional suffering or the thousands of injuries and other effects of improper medical care. The journal Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research states that medical malpractice is a common occurrence in the United States.
Understanding the types of medical malpractice can help you recognize if you were a victim. If you suffered any of the following, you may have grounds for legal action:
- Misdiagnosis: If you go to a doctor, specialist, or another healthcare provider because something is wrong, proper diagnostics enable appropriate medical care. If a medical professional misdiagnoses your condition, you can suffer greatly. Even if a medical professional initially misdiagnoses your condition and later corrects this error, valuable time can be lost.
- Surgical errors: Surgical errors are a cause of medical malpractice that can endanger your life. This could include improper use of instruments, ineffective sterilization leading to infection, anesthesia errors, and more.
- Inadequate prescription of treatment: If your healthcare provider prescribes the wrong medication or an inadequate dosage, this could qualify as malpractice. If your healthcare provider failed to prescribe any medication or treatment plan that could have helped eradicate your condition, this error on their behalf may fall within the scope of medical malpractice.
- Childbirth errors: If a doctor or provider makes an error that has a detrimental effect on a child or mother, malpractice may have occurred. Some types of childbirth errors include failure to perform a C-section in a timely manner, improper monitoring, improper medication administration, or extracting an infant improperly during delivery, among several other possible birthing medical mistakes.
The effects of malpractice can completely change your life. When you put your trust in a healthcare provider, your life is in their hands. No form of malpractice, regardless of severity, is acceptable or fair to victims.
For a free legal consultation with a medical malpractice lawyer serving Washington DC, call 800-641-8998
Effects of Malpractice on Victims
The type and severity of malpractice can play a determining role in the way it affects victims. Medical malpractice can even be fatal. As a victim, malpractice could affect your life by causing the following:
- Expensive medical bills leading to financial burden and debt
- Loss of physical function, possibly leading to disability and lost wages
- Stress, depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and other emotional disorders
- Permanent disfigurement
- Loss of trust in healthcare providers which can inhibit future treatment
- Sleeplessness
- Temporary and long-term pain and suffering
- Loss of life
If you have experienced or are experiencing any of these effects following a medical procedure or treatment, and you think a third party could be at fault, you could potentially collect financial compensation for your suffering.
Determining who is liable for your injury, pain, and suffering is an essential component of medical malpractice claims. A Washington DC medical malpractice lawyer with Ben Crump Law, PLLC is available to discuss your case and determine if another party may have been at fault.
There is a statute of limitations in some jurisdictions regarding malpractice claims, so acting in a time-sensitive manner may help guarantee you do not miss out on your chance to hold a responsible party accountable for your losses. Under the Code of the District of Columbia § 16–2802, you must also give notice of your intention to file a lawsuit.
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Potentially Recoverable Compensation
Being the victim of medical malpractice can have dramatic effects on your life. Injuries suffered from malpractice can require days, weeks, months, or even years to recover from. In some cases, the effects of malpractice are permanent. You could be left with a disability and massive medical bills, and even lose your ability to work. As a victim, you deserve justice. If you were not responsible for your suffering, you could be eligible for compensation.
Some forms of compensation include reimbursement for medical bills, both past and future. Another form of recoverable compensation is reimbursement for lost wages. Sometimes additional damages apply, such as pain and suffering. Every situation is different and speaking with a Washington DC medical malpractice lawyer about your case may give you a better sense of the types of compensation you could recover.
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What You Can Do Next
If you are considering legal action regarding your medical malpractice claim or want to learn more about the process, Ben Crump Law, PLLC can help. Our Washington DC medical malpractice lawyers can answer your questions regarding your case. Call 800-641-8998.
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