Unfortunately, sometimes in life accidents happen and mistakes are made. The medical industry is no different, and although the vast majority of times you go into hospital, you will receive top rate care, there are times when medical practitioners make mistakes.
In 2013, over $3 billion was spent settling medical malpractice suits in the US. This is a staggering amount of money, but it reflects the huge impact medical negligence can have on a person’s life.
So, what is medical malpractice, and how can it affect you?
What is Medical Malpractice?
Medical malpractice is when a healthcare provider fails to meet established healthcare standards. This can be through negligence, poor communication, or diagnostic errors, but all can lead to increased suffering for a patient.
In the medical industry, small errors can have big consequences, and any mistakes can severely impact the quality of life of the patient. As a result, there can often be high levels of compensation for medical malpractice suits, leading to the figure of $3 billion being spent on medical malpractice suits in 2013.
What Types of Medical Malpractice are There?
Medical malpractice can lead to a variety of different injuries and illnesses. If poor treatment led to you sustaining a new injury or illness, or for your illness or injury to become worse, then you may have suffered from medical malpractice.
Some common malpractice scenarios are:
Inability to diagnose in a timely manner – this can happen in a wide variety of illnesses such as cancer, heart problems, and strokes, among other conditions.
Errors during anaesthesia.
Surgical errors.
Receiving the wrong medicine.
Injuries sustained during labor.
These errors, and many others can have a big impact on your life, or the life of a loved one, and the law is there to make sure you don’t suffer any more than you have to.
What Does a Malpractice Claim Cover?
Medical malpractice can impact your life in many different ways. Not only do you face medical costs, and potentially the cost of future care, but if you’re away from work for a period of time, then you will also lose income.
You shouldn’t have to suffer these costs if you’ve been in an accident that wasn’t your fault, and therefore a medical malpractice claim can cover you for:
Expenses as part of your daily living, such as getting to appointments, equipment to help you with your debility.
Lost earnings during the time you have been unable to work.
Cost of surgeries and medical procedures.
Adaptations to your home.
Cost of future care.
Future earnings you might lose because you are not able to work.
Do I Need a Lawyer?
An experienced lawyer can help put your mind at ease that you have a professional looking after your case. Filing a successful medical malpractice case isn’t straight forward and your chances of being successful are much greater if you have a lawyer on your side.
With an attorney looking after the legal side of things for you, you can concentrate on your recovery and getting better.
