When Should You Hire A Medical Malpractice Lawyer?

Every year, hundreds of thousands of people in the U.S. die due to medical errors. Even more people are injured but don’t die because of medical negligence or mistakes. Families who care for injured loved ones or who have lost loved ones may not understand what exactly went wrong to cause the injuries. It’s often easier to take a medical professional like a doctor or nurse at their word as to what happened during the treatment of your loved one.

It’s surprising how many families go for years assuming that the bad outcome they experienced had nothing to do with medical malpractice. As a result, they delay looking into whether or not the injury happened due to negligence. However, if your loved one has been injured or died under a doctor’s care, you may be entitled to compensation as part of a medical malpractice claim.

How Do You Know If It’s Medical Malpractice?

It’s hard to know when to consider hiring a medical malpractice attorney to file a claim against a healthcare provider. Sometimes medical conditions have the same symptoms even though one is a bad outcome while another happened due to medical negligence or mistakes. Many people believe that doctors and other medical professionals don’t make mistakes and always treat patients with the highest level of care. Unfortunately, that isn’t always the case.

The reality is that doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals do make mistakes that can result in catastrophic injuries or even death. And because of their position, they are held to a high standard and must take every reasonable step to ensure patients receive a prompt and correct diagnosis and treatment.

Some of the signs that your loved one may not have received the standard of care they should have include the following:

• Their symptoms could have been more than one condition. Therefore, doctors must rule out other medical conditions to reach the right diagnosis. That means asking numerous questions and performing the appropriate tests.
• The doctor didn’t use all the available tools and diagnostic methods to make a diagnosis. This area can be challenging. If you’re not a medical professional, you may not know which tests and tools should have been used to diagnose your loved one’s condition. You may feel that something was missed, but you do not know for sure. That’s why it’s so important to seek the help of an experienced medical malpractice lawyer to review your case.
• The doctor didn’t take the time necessary to understand your loved one’s symptoms. Unfortunately, doctors have a lot of patients to see and treat, and they don’t always take the time they should with each patient. As a result, they may miss important details about someone’s condition, which can lead to serious complications.
• A second medical opinion doesn’t line up with the first. For example, suppose your family member received treatment that didn’t work, and they sought the help of another doctor who didn’t agree with the first doctor’s diagnosis or treatment. In that case, it may indicate that a misdiagnosis was made.

Knowing whether or not your case is truly medical malpractice can be tricky. Therefore, you must enlist the help of a medical malpractice attorney to determine if you have a valid claim and how you should proceed.

Work With An Experienced Medical Malpractice Lawyer In Pennsylvania

Suppose your loved one experienced injuries or died because a medical professional made a medication mistake, misdiagnosed or delayed treatment, or otherwise violated the accepted standard of medical care. In that case, a medical malpractice attorney may be able to help you recover compensation for the injuries.  

It often takes courage and willingness to seek legal help. But when you do, it is imperative to find legal representation from someone very experienced at handling cases of this type. Look for a medical malpractice attorney who handles catastrophic injury cases, not simply general litigation or general personal injury. You must find the right attorney to help your family with the financial burden caused by medical malpractice injuries.

At Ross Feller Casey, our attorneys have decades of experience fighting for families like yours. We’ve helped clients recover seven- and eight-figure verdicts and settlements for their catastrophic personal injuries. Let us fight for your family.

Our attorneys work on a contingency basis, so you never pay a cent until we win your case. So contact our office today to schedule your free case review.