Medical Negligence and Malpractice
If you are a victim of medical malpractice you want the medical malpractice lawyer in Philadelphia to represent you. Patients with serious conditions rely on the competence and skills of medical professionals to initiate appropriate treatment protocols. However, frequently the physicians, surgeons, nurses, and other medical professionals entrusted with patient care fail to properly institute proper protocols to protect their patients from avoidable negative outcomes. In fact, according an article in Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), medical negligence is the third leading cause of death in the U.S.
When you are affected by medical negligence, you need the medical malpractice lawyer in Philadelphia by your side. The experienced lawyers at the Wieand Law Firm, LLC realize that victims of medical malpractice have suffered physical harm while frequently dealing with mounting medical expenses that aren’t their fault. The Wieand Law firm, LLC will take time to understand your unique situation and fight for the compensation that you deserve.
What Is Medical Malpractice Or Negligence?
Medical malpractice, also sometimes referred to as medical negligence, is when a physician fails to meet the standard of care that can be reasonably expected. Negligent medical errors are preventable and frequently result in significant or grave injury to the patient. Patient harm can be caused by the action or omission of a single medical professional, or it could be the result of a larger system failure of the health care organization. The medical malpractice lawyer in Philadelphia can help investigate the root cause of your medical error to determine where the fault and liability lies.
Commonly Misdiagnosed Conditions
Every year, many individuals are diagnosed with the wrong health conditions. Some diseases are more difficult to diagnose than others and even the most experienced and skilled doctors can get a diagnosis wrong sometimes. However, a misdiagnosis can be detrimental to your health because it prevents you from treating the actual condition you’re suffering from.
As the medical malpractice lawyer in Philadelphia, we at Wieand Law Firm, LLC share some of the most common conditions that get misdiagnosed.
Celiac Disease
Celiac disease is an immune condition in which individuals can’t eat gluten because it will harm their small intestine. It’s one of the most commonly misdiagnosed conditions because the symptoms can vary from person to person. Some people may experience constipation and stomach pain while others may experience headaches and joint pain as well. This condition is frequently diagnosed as irritable bowel syndrome. If you were misdiagnosed, when you should have been diagnosed with celiac disease, and this resulted in injury, please call the medical malpractice lawyer in Philadelphia.
Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is a chronic disease that results in widespread muscle pain. Other common symptoms include fatigue, mood swings, headaches and nausea. Fibromyalgia is commonly diagnosed as lupus or chronic fatigue syndrome, as they share many of the same symptoms.
Stroke
Stroke is another serious condition that frequently, and unfortunately, gets misdiagnosed by doctors. They often overlook the early signs of stroke, especially in younger people. Doctors could misdiagnose a stroke with vertigo or migraine. Stroke symptoms like numbness of the face, severe headache and vision problems are very serious and immediate medical care is necessary. If you were injured because of a stroke misdiagnosis, please call the medical malpractice lawyer in Philadelphia.
Cancer
Cancer is another disease that frequently gets mistaken for other conditions. This disease often has few or no symptoms for several years. Some of the most common symptoms of cancer include shortness of breath, lumps on skin, unusual bleeding and difficulty swallowing. These symptoms can also be signs of other illnesses. However, the longer cancer goes undiagnosed, the further it can spread and be more difficult to treat.
Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disorder categorized by symptoms like numbness, gait problems, fatigue, visual disturbances and brain fog. Unfortunately, this condition share symptoms with many other conditions, so it’s frequently misdiagnosed. Multiple sclerosis is often mistaken for neuropathy, migraine, lupus and fibromyalgia.
Heart Attack
As the medical malpractice lawyer in Philadelphia, we have handled many cases involving a misdiagnosis of a heart attack. The most common symptoms of a heart attack include shortness of breath, chest pain, clammy skin and anxiety. However, it’s frequently misdiagnosed as pneumonia, asthma attacks and stress.
Call the Medical Malpractice Lawyer in Philadelphia
If you were recently misdiagnosed by a doctor, you probably feel overwhelmed and unsure of what to do. The medical malpractice lawyers at Wieand Law Firm, LLC can help. We have helped many other individuals who had been diagnosed by their doctors and want to help you get the justice you deserve. We can review your medical records and advise you the way to proceed.
What Is The Process For Filing A Medical Malpractice Claim?
The first step in filing a medical malpractice claim is securing the services of the medical malpractice lawyer in Philadelphia. Insurance companies will often try to quickly settle with a malpractice victim before a lawyer can review the case and fight for just compensation. By calling the Wieand Law Firm, LLC, you can be confident that your situation will be reviewed by competent counsel to determine if you have an actionable case. This is the first step in ensuring that every effort is made to pursue compensation for your injuries.
Can Physicians Be Held Criminally Liable for Medical Negligence?
When patients suffer as a result of medical errors, it can be difficult for them to process how they feel about their situation. After all, patients place an extraordinary amount of trust in their physicians. When their care is subsequently compromised after such trust has been placed, patients may struggle with feeling betrayed, angry and confused simultaneously. Some even wrestle with a profound sense of empathy, given that all professionals are human and are bound to make mistakes from time to time.
Because it is so challenging to navigate one’s feelings during the aftermath of harm caused by a medical error, it can be helpful to understand the facts surrounding the situation and reach out to the medical malpractice lawyer in Philadelphia. Once patients better understand the legal realities associated with medical negligence, they can both make informed decisions and more completely process any emotions they have tied to the situation at hand.
Criminal vs. Civil Liability
Depending on the details surrounding a medical error situation, civil and/or criminal cases may be filed against the physician who committed the error. While a civil claim must generally be filed by the affected patient and/or the patient’s family, any criminal charges are filed by a prosecutor. In order to be charged criminally, a physician generally must have significantly deviated from a required standard of care and meet certain requirements related to his or her state of mind at the time of the error.
Medical Malpractice Claims
When patients file civil cases against physicians who have harmed them, they may receive compensation in the forms of economic and/or non-economic damages. Economic damages, like medical bills and lost wages, are tied to objective financial losses sustained as a result of harm caused. Non-economic damages, like pain and suffering, are tied to negative consequences resulting from negligence beyond specific financial losses.
These damage awards can help patients to stabilize their financial situation, which can be sent into a tailspin following a medical error. Being freed from the stresses of error-related financial burdens, with the help of the medical malpractice lawyer in Philadelphia, may allow patients to focus more completely on the process of healing. But for many patients, the most important outcome tied to a medical malpractice suit is the knowledge that this action will likely help to prevent similar harm from occurring to this physician’s future patients. It is for this reason that many medical malpractice suits are filed even by clients who are only marginally affected by the financial challenges traditionally associated with medical errors. Helping to guarantee a safer medical culture is a noble and sincerely valuable aim and the medical malpractice lawyer in Philadelphia, Wieand Law Firm, can help.
Legal Counsel Is Available
If you have questions about medical negligence, please consider reaching out to the medical malpractice lawyer in Philadelphia, Wieand Law Firm. Whether you are a patient who may have been harmed by a medical error or a physician concerned about liability for an unintentional mistake, it is important to seek experienced counsel as you navigate your situation. Consulting with an attorney does not result in any automatic legal action. All scheduling a consultation will do is better ensure that your decisions about your legal situation are as informed as they can be as you move forward.
Once you secure legal counsel, the medical malpractice lawyer in Philadelphia can procure your medical records and complete a thorough review. Frequently, this entails a consultation with a qualified medical reviewer. The Wieand Law Firm, LLC has access to professional physician experts in a variety of practice areas to ensure that your medical record is reviewed by a physician who is an authority in their practice specialty.
The Wieand Law Firm, LLC can help you determine medical malpractice and will work to pursue the financial compensation for the client. This might be through a settlement, or by taking the case to trial. When injured, you want the medical malpractice lawyer in Philadelphia to provide personalized attention to your case, and keep you informed each step of the way.
Please call the Wieand Law Firm, LLC to receive professional and empathetic consultation and expert advice regarding your specific situation. We offer a free, no obligation consultation, so call medical malpractice lawyer in Philadelphia today!
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice.
