Palm Harbor Medical Malpractice Lawyer
Anyone who goes to a doctor or enters a hospital trusts their doctor will care for them professionally and competently. But all too frequently, patients get substandard care that leaves them worse off than before.
Medical professionals are liable for malpractice if the care they provide fails to meet the accepted standards of care and diligence in that area of practice. Medical professionals hold themselves as skilled experts, and people trust them with their lives. People should be able to hold them to a high standard of competence. It is not just physicians who can commit malpractice. Patients are sometimes injured by the carelessness of nurses, technicians, or nursing home staff.
If this happened to you or a loved one, you should talk to a Palm Harbor medical malpractice lawyer about how you may be able to get justice.It is important to contact a qualified personal injury attorney about this as soon as possible so that they could start gathering the evidence that may be necessary to form the basis of a successful case.
Fatal Mistakes in Palm Harbor
Medical errors can have devastating consequences. Every year many people die as the result of medical malpractice.
Negligence can also lead to lost mobility or chronic pain and suffering. Loss of oxygen to the brain is a common surgical error that can leave an individual permanently incapacitated.
In many instances, the critical error happens at the beginning of treatment when a physician fails to accurately diagnose a medical problem, even if the patient presented symptoms that a competent professional would be able to identify.
Excessive or insufficient dosage of medication is another tragically common mistake. Sometimes a doctor or nurse will read a label without sufficient care and give a patient much more medicine than appropriate. The difference between 10 milligrams and 100 milligrams of a medication can be a life and death matter, especially if the patient is a child or senior citizen.
Building the Case
Under Florida law, in a medical malpractice lawsuit, the injured party has the burden of proving by the greater weight of evidence that the alleged actions of the health care provider represented a breach of the prevailing professional standard of care for that health care provider.
That means the burden is on the victim to show that the care given constituted malpractice. This makes it crucial to begin gathering evidence as soon as possible.
A comprehensive medical examination is the most important part of that process so that the record shows just how much harm the individual suffered. But other types of evidence are also important, so the process must begin before the memories of potential witnesses begin to fade.
Possible Damages in a Medical Malpractice Case
Some of the damages available in a medical malpractice case are:
- Medical expenses
- Lost income
- Loss of consortium
- Psychological distress
A Palm Harbor medical malpractice lawyer could help individuals pursue damages.
Speaking With a Palm Harbor Medical Malpractice Attorney
Physicians and hospitals are involved in lawsuits all the time, so they likely already have aggressive lawyers in their corner. You may need an experienced and skillful legal team on your side who could fight for your rights.
Call a Palm Harbor medical malpractice lawyer today to schedule a consultation.