Medical malpractice lawsuits can be complicated, and emotionally charged events. Here are ten things that you want to know about medical malpractice lawsuits.
- Doctors make mistakes: While doctors are highly trained professionals, they are also human beings, and human beings are not perfect. Your doctor will treat you to the best of his or her ability, but, even then, you can be harmed by the treatment.
- What is medical Negligence: When a medical professional does something wrong, or doesn’t do something that could have helped you, it is termed medical negligence. Negligence must be demonstrated in a malpractice lawsuit.
- Standard of Care: This is an agreed upon standard of what is considered best depending on your age and medical situation.
- Lawsuits are expensive: This is especially true for medical malpractice lawsuits. In some instances, even legitimate cases do onto go to trial because the process its self is so financially and emotionally training
- You must prove your injury: In order for your case to be valid, you must prove that you were injured as a result of medical negligence. To do this, an expert witness is often called to offer a “second opinion” on what could have been done in that situation.
- Statute of limitations: You do have a time limit in filing your claim. Most states impose a 2 year time limit on medical malpractice lawsuits.
- New Torts: Even if you win your case, your compensation may be limited by law. This is usually only an issue in severe cases where lifelong care is required.
- It can take a while: Lawsuits are lengthy in nature, and this is no less true for medical malpractice suits.
- Not everyone sues: In some instances, a lawsuit is not a good idea due to the time and money involved. Contrary to popular belief, the amount of medical malpractice lawsuits has decreased over the last few years.
- Having a Lawyer Really Helps: A lawyer can answer all of your questions and help make sure that your case is handled swiftly and properly.
Before opening a case, it is recommended to speak to a lawyer and get advice on the best course of action in your individual situation.
