All medical professionals have an obligation to provide their patients with a certain standard of care. This standard is based upon the practice of their peers and the institution they work for. This is because patients put their trust in healthcare professionals to treat them to the best of their ability so that they can receive proper care. If the professional fails to live up to this standard or acts negligently while providing care, the patient could be put at great risk. When this happens, it is known as medical malpractice. If you have been the victim of medical malpractice, it is important to contact an experienced attorney that can fight for you.
What is Medical Malpractice?
Medical malpractice is a form of negligence by a healthcare professional. If a professional does not meet the standard of care that is expected of them, they can severely endanger the health of their patients. This can cause them to suffer greatly when they are not treated properly. There are many different ways medical malpractice can be seen, including the following:
- Failure to diagnose
- Delayed diagnosis
- Surgical or emergency room mistakes
- Prescription or anesthesia errors
- Labor and birth injuries
- Inadequate consent
- Hospital-acquired or post-surgical infections
- Improper care
It is important to know that, in these situations, the professional may be held liable for their behavior.
Proving Malpractice
Often times, patients who suffer from medical malpractice want to hold the healthcare professional responsible for their actions. In order to do this, the injured party is required to prove negligence during a personal injury lawsuit. This can be done by linking their suffering to the behavior of the professional. To begin this process, the patient must report their case as soon as they believe they are a victim of malpractice. This allows an investigation into the case and the professional to begin. During this time, the healthcare professional’s entire practice is called into question, including how they interact with patients and conduct medicine. If the professional is found guilty of malpractice, it can damage their reputation, career, and livelihood. In some cases, they can even lose their license.
Compensation for Malpractice
If a patient successfully proves malpractice, they may be eligible to recover compensation. This provides coverage for any damages that stem from the suffering they endured due to the professional’s lack of care. The compensation that may be recovered can be for economic damages such as lost wages, future lost wages, and medical bills. However, victims of malpractice do not only suffer physically, but emotionally as well. It is because of this that they may receive non-economic damages for emotional distress such as pain and suffering.
Contact our Firm
If you or a loved one has been in a personal injury accident in Pennsylvania, it’s important that you contact an experienced Philadelphia personal injury attorney to help you with your case. Contact Spear Greenfield to get the right attorney in your corner.
Call or text (215) 985-2424 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
