Six Common Misconceptions About Medical Malpractice
Medical Errors Are Always Associated With Negligence
Not all medical errors are due to negligence. There are other errors doctors can make; after all, they’re only human. Some errors include misdiagnosis, missed diagnosis, improper treatment, no follow-up and medication mix-ups. If you’re not sure whether you have a medical malpractice case, speak with a Wieand Law Firm medical malpractice lawyer in Philadelphia.
Medical Errors Are Not Preventable
According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, a division of the National Library of Medicine, some 70% of medical errors are preventable. The most prevalent errors were technical errors (44 percent), diagnostic errors (17 percent), failure of preventing injury (12 percent) and errors in the use of a medication (10 percent).If you believe you were the victim of a preventable medical error, speak with a medical malpractice lawyer in Philadelphia PA.
Malpractice Only Applies to Doctors and Surgeons
Doctors and surgeons are only the most high profile perpetrators of malpractice. However, anybody who provides medical care for you could commit medical malpractice. The list includes nurses, certified nursing assistants, physician’s assistants and physical, occupational, speech or psychological therapists.
Medical Boards Usually Investigate and Discipline Doctors for Malpractice
It’s a rare case when a medical board investigates or disciplines doctors who have committed malpractice. A far more effective way to curtail medical malpractice is to force those doctors to pay for what they’ve done and punish them so they won’t do it again. A medical malpractice lawyer in Philadelphia PA, from the Wieand Law Firm can help you assess your chances to receive punitive damages — money the doctor would have to pay strictly as punishment.
There Are Cap Limits on How Much You Can Recover
In some states, this is true. In some states, it’s not. For Pennsylvanians, there is no cap limit on how much you can recover in damages. If your medical bills, lost wages, future medical costs and future lost earnings add up, you could recoup as large an amount as is needed to compensate you for your injury.
Injuries Must Be Physical
Injuries need not be physical. There can be psychological or emotional injuries as well. Filing a lawsuit seeking compensation for emotional distress is not uncommon in the world of medical malpractice claims. Your medical malpractice lawyer in Philadelphia PA, can help you put a monetary value on your emotional distress and file a claim against the doctor.
