Any time a doctor or other medical professional fails to meet the minimum standard of care, they can be held liable for any injuries they cause. This can occur when doctors misdiagnose an illness, nurses fail to closely monitor a patient’s vital signs, or hospitals negligently hire unqualified staff.
A compassionate attorney could help you hold the responsible parties accountable if you were injured through a medical mistake. A successful settlement could cover the additional necessary care cost while compensating you for your pain and other losses.
Let a Cranberry Township medical malpractice lawyer help you understand your legal options. Call Benjamin Levine Law today to speak with a compassionate and hardworking personal injury attorney.
Different types of healthcare mistakes could lead to a viable medical malpractice case. These errors can occur during any phase of treatment, from the initial diagnosis of an injury to surgical procedures. Some of the cases a Cranberry Township medical malpractice attorney could assist with include the following:
Errors during surgery can be devastating. They can occur due to the surgeon’s carelessness or poor record-keeping at the medical facility, among other things. Some examples include operating on the wrong body part or even the wrong patient.
Missing a diagnosis is one of the most problematic outcomes for physicians. While some conditions are inherently difficult to identify, doctors are held to a high standard of diagnosing their patients and pursuing the appropriate treatment.
Delaying a diagnosis can be as devastating as failing to identify the illness at all. With some aggressive diseases like cancer, waiting too long to pursue treatment could be a fatal error.
In this scenario, physicians are judged by how a reasonable doctor in the field would have performed. If they did not live up to the standard of care, the delayed diagnosis could result in civil liability.
One unique aspect of medical malpractice litigation is the need for a certificate of merit. Although this document is unnecessary in most injury cases, plaintiffs are required to provide it when filing their medical malpractice suit.
Under the law, an injured patient or their medical malpractice lawyer in Cranberry Township must submit a document certifying that an appropriate medical professional has reviewed the plaintiff’s case and found a reasonable probability that the medical care was outside acceptable standards.
While it is necessary to file the certificate along with the underlying complaint in most cases, plaintiffs have until 60 days after filing the lawsuit to update it to include this document.
There is some flexibility on who can serve as the medical expert who signs the certificate. The plaintiff does not have to rely on someone who will ultimately act as a witness at trial. A seasoned lawyer could secure this certificate on a plaintiff’s behalf.
When you are living with the consequences of a medical mistake, now is the time to evaluate your legal options. You could be entitled to a monetary award due to the harm caused by your negligent doctor or medical professional.
Let a Cranberry Township medical malpractice lawyer investigate your case and determine if you are entitled to compensation. Reach out right away to discuss your negligent medical care.