In the United States, medical malpractice occurs with disturbing regularity. It has been estimated that medical errors cause as much as 10% of deaths in our country. That means it’s the third-highest cause of death overall, just behind cancer and heart disease. If you or a loved one has fallen victim to medical negligence, you should consider a lawsuit. For your medical malpractice claim to have the best chance at success, we should be able to prove these four elements.
For your medical malpractice claim to have the best chance at success, we should be able to prove these four elements.
A Doctor-Patient Relationship
First of all, we need to be able to prove the existence of a doctor-patient relationship. Essentially, this step proves that the medical professional who you are suing for medical malpractice provided you with medical care. Confirming this is fairly easy; all you need are medical records.
Negligence
Next, we are looking for strong evidence of negligence. Doctors receive more education and training than in just about any other profession, and they should be equipped to handle the ailments of their patients. In order to prove negligence, ask yourself the following question: would a competent medical professional have behaved the same way?
Negligence can take many different forms. Your doctor may have failed to provide you with informed consent. They may have failed to diagnose you properly and given you the wrong treatment as a result. Perhaps they ordered the wrong tests, or didn’t read the results properly.
Whatever the case might be, we will be on the look-out for any of these telltale signs of negligence.
Injury or Death Resulting from Negligence
Negligence alone isn’t typically enough grounds for a successful medical malpractice alone. Their negligence needs to have directly caused injury or death. This isn’t always easy to prove, and may require input from other medical experts.
Once this is done, we should be able to demonstrate that the resulting injury led to damages. Sometimes, these damages are concrete and easy to quantify, such as increased medical bills or lost wages. Other times, not so much. The psychological pain you or your loved one experienced as a result of medical malpractice can also quality as ‘damages.’
Here at the Snyder Law Group, we believe that no one should become a victim of medical malpractice. That’s why we fight for those who do. If you want your medical malpractice claim to be handled by a law group with a proven reputation for success, contact us for a free case evaluation.
Contact The Snyder Law Group Today
The Snyder Law Group, LLC, proudly represents clients throughout Maryland and Washington, D.C. Our experienced Baltimore attorneys understand the frustration that comes with an insurance company, medical professional, or other party that refuses to accept liability for negligent or reckless behavior. You can take heart in knowing there are talented and experienced lawyers ready to work for you. We are experienced in handling personal injury claims of medical malpractice or injury resulting from serious car and truck accidents, and have secured hundreds of millions in verdicts and settlements. Please visit our website, www.410thefirm.com, for more information and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.