Medical Errors and Negligent Medical Care
When you seek medical treatment from a doctor or other medical professional, you place your health in their hands and trust that they will provide proper medical care. Unfortunately, that trust can be shattered if you or a family member are injured because of negligent or careless conduct. Medical mistakes can cause painful injuries and other conditions with significant and sometimes permanent consequences.
Statistics show that preventable medical errors are responsible for over 100,000 fatalities each year. In fact, more people die from medical mistakes in the United States each year than serious conditions like diabetes or car accidents. Further, medical negligence on the part of physicians, nurses, and pharmacists cause over 1 million personal injuries each year.
Although a medical malpractice lawsuit cannot restore your health to where it was before the negligent treatment, it can help compensate the victim for financial burdens associated with negligent medical care, as well as give the victim a sense of justice and closure.
Medical Malpractice Lawyers are Not All the Same.
Hiring an experienced medical malpractice attorney can make all the difference in your case. Attorney Brent Wieand is skilled trial lawyer in Montgomery County. His expertise and understanding of medical negligence gives you an advantage when seeking recovery for your injuries or the wrongful death of a loved one. In recognition of his success, he has been selected as a Super Lawyers “Rising Star” in the years 2013, 2014 and 2015.
Brent is committed to representing residents of Montgomery County who are suffering due to malpractice. He serves clients in Abington, Cheltenham, Lower Merion, Horsham, Upper Dublin, Lower Providence, Upper Moreland and Norristown, PA.
Some common medical mistakes which may result in a medical malpractice lawsuit include:
- Birth Injury caused by medical malpractice
- Anesthesia errors resulting in catastrophic injury or death
- Medication errors
- Delayed cancer diagnosis or failure to diagnose cancer
- Misdiagnoses
- Surgical mistakes
We work with premier experts who can help evaluate your treatment and determine whether your doctor or other medical provider breached the proper standard of care. If your injuries were caused by negligence you may be entitled to compensation for pain and suffering, medical bills, lost wages and loss of earnings capacity.
Should I Sue My Doctor?
The vast majority of doctors are skilled professionals who want to help their patients. However, even good doctors sometimes make mistakes. Like all of us, your doctor may be distracted or simply having an off day. Unfortunately, in the field of medicine, when a medical provider makes a mistake or becomes distracted it can have serious, life-altering consequences.
As a patient, you are entitled to expect your doctor will perform his job using the proper “standard of care.” This is the level of care that you would receive if you were treated by another doctor, in a similar field, elsewhere in the community. If your doctor breaches the standard of care, and as a result you suffer an injury, or a family member dies, the doctor may be held liable for the injuries and damages he/she caused.
However, not all medical mistakes are ripe for a medical malpractice suit. For example, lets say your doctor prescribed you an incorrect pharmaceutical drug which you begin to use. Three days later, the mistake is caught, and you are prescribed the right medication. Even though an error was made, if you suffered no real harm, the mistake is not ripe for a medical malpractice lawsuit. On the other hand, if as a result of this error you suffered a sever side-effect, or a curable disease spreads causing serious health consequences, you should consult with an attorney as to your legal options.
Free MedMal Consultation and Case Evaluation
Sometimes medical malpractice can be obvious – for example amputation of the wrong leg. Other times, it may be much harder to detect and complicated to prove. You may suspect that something was done improperly; however, you don’t have a medical background and may not be sure what to do. Maybe your suspicion was aroused by an adverse event notification from the hospital. This is often a good indication that medical malpractice occurred. In the event you receive an adverse event notification, you should consider having your treatment reviewed by a lawyer.
It is unlikely that a doctor, nurse or hospital will admit to committing medical malpractice. In fact, medical professionals are much more likely to cover up their mistakes as well as cover for their colleagues. The way to determine whether malpractice was the cause of your injury is to consult with a medical malpractice lawyer.
If you suspect that you or a family member was harmed by medical malpractice call Brent Wieand for a free legal consultation. 1 (215) 666-7777.
*Disclaimer: This website does not offer legal advice and should not be used as legal advice. Attorney Brent Wieand’s law office is located in Philadelphia, PA. He is licensed to practice in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
