The majority of hospital visits occur without incident, with doctors, nurses and other hospital staff performing admirably. However, with medical mistakes the 3rd leading cause of death in the United States, it’s critical to understand what to do if you believe you or a loved one has been harmed by medical negligence.
Medical mistakes may occur in a variety of situations, including missed diagnoses, surgical errors, delays in treatment and prescription errors. When an error occurs and the patient suffers harm, it may be possible to bring a claim for medical malpractice. Medical malpractice is different from having a poor outcome. In some circumstances poor outcomes result through no fault of the medical staff and may be a known complication. However, where medical staff fail to act as they should – or act negligently or recklessly and cause harm – then it is critical to contact an experienced Los Angeles medical negligence attorney at once to protect your rights and begin an investigation.
The first steps in reviewing a claim includes obtaining the medical records, which may including after visit summaries, surgical reports, doctor/nurse notes, radiological tests and other materials. In order to determine whether a case for medical negligence exists these records must be reviewed by an expert. The expert can help determine whether the medical professional failed to comply with the standard of care. Where the medical provider (or hospital) failed in its duty to you (or your loved one) and harm occurred, they may be held responsible in a medical malpractice lawsuit and required to pay damages. Where a catastrophic injury occurs as the result of malpractice such as a brain injury or birth injury, the damages – including future medical care – can be substantial.
For more information or if you believe you or a loved one was injured due to medical negligence, please contact the experience Los Angeles medical malpractice lawyers at Bostwick & Peterson LLP for an immediate consultation.
