When we place ourselves or our loved ones in the hands of medical professionals, we are trusting that those professionals will provide an accepted standard of care. Sometimes, though, treatment by a doctor, nurse, hospital employee, or other healthcare provider falls below that accepted standard of care and leads to the injury or even death of a patient. In such a case, the injured patient – or the surviving family in the case of the patient’s death – may be able to obtain compensation for their injuries and related losses by filing a medical malpractice lawsuit.

Medical Malpractice Defined

Medical malpractice is an umbrella term covering any negligent act or error by a medical professional that causes harm to a patient. Whether in an emergency room, ambulance, family doctor’s office, hospital, or some other medical facility, medical professionals have a duty to uphold a high standard of care for every patient. Negligence by doctors, nurses, technicians, and other medical staff can lead to serious health consequences. Some situations that fall under medical malpractice include:

• Serious surgery errors
• Unnecessary surgery
• Anesthesia errors (administering too late, using incorrect dosages, failure to respond to changes in vital signs, et cetera)
• Misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis
• Medication errors
• Refusal to offer proper treatment
• Failure to monitor patients following surgery or treatment

Medical malpractice is not limited to hospitals, surgery centers, nursing homes and general practitioners. You may also be able to file a medical malpractice lawsuit if you have suffered injury from the negligence or mistake of a chiropractor, cosmetic surgeon, dentist, anesthesiologist, OBGYN clinic, psychiatrist, pharmacist, rehabilitation therapist, or any other medical professional in the Palm Beach area.

Medical Malpractice Damages

The goal of medical malpractice judgments is to compensate an injured party for harm that was caused by the healthcare professional’s negligence in an attempt to make the victim “whole” again. This may include financial compensation for both economic and noneconomic losses. If you or a family member has been injured by the negligence of a medical professional, you may be able to recover financial compensation to cover a wide variety of damages, including:

• Medical expenses (hospital stays, doctor visits, rehabilitation therapy, medications)
• Future medical expenses in the case of severe or permanent injury
• Cost of assistive devices in case of disability
• Lost wages
• Loss of earning capacity (in the case of death or permanent disability)
• Pain and suffering
• Loss of consortium (when a spouse of a malpractice victim suffers loss of marital benefits such as companionship, sexual relations and comfort)
• Loss of parental support
• Suffering from disability or disfigurement

Speak With An Experienced Medical Malpractice Lawyer

This type of personal injury lawsuit is inherently complex, requiring expertise in both law and medicine. The medical malpractice team of Madalon Law is knowledgeable in both of these areas, with the ability to decipher medical documents, select the correct expert witnesses and ask pertinent questions, and anticipate the tactics of the defendant’s legal team.

If you feel that you or a family member has been a victim of medical malpractice, it is imperative that you contact a legal professional experienced in medical law. Contact the Palm Beach Medical Malpractice attorneys at Madalon Law now for a free consultation. The questions that you have regarding your affected health or that of a loved one need not go unanswered. Contact us today.