When you’re seeking medical treatment, you expect the person providing you with care to help identify the problem and find a solution so you can feel better. If the medical professional treating you makes a negligent decision, your health could suffer. You may sustain further injuries or an illness that you have could progress. If you’ve been harmed because a doctor, nurse, surgeon, or other type of medical professional made a mistake, then you may be able to take legal action with a Pine Bluff medical malpractice lawyer from McMath Woods P.A.
What Can Happen When Medical Malpractice Occurs?
The dangers of medical negligence can prolong treatment, allow an injury or illness to worsen, and can put the patient’s life in danger. Here are some common types of medical malpractice and what can result from them.
- Misdiagnosis. It’s possible for patients to receive an incorrect diagnosis. This could mean that they start treating a health issue that they do not have. While they’re going through that treatment process, the real issue could persist and possibly become worse.
- Failure to Recognize Symptoms. When a patient is presenting certain symptoms, the medical provider treating them may not realize that they are signs of a specific issue, where other medical providers would have recognized them. This could be potentially fatal. If a doctor failed to recognize symptoms of heart attack or stroke and sent the patient home, they could possibly suffer a critical health event that could have been prevented or treated.
- Medication Error. A patient could be given the wrong medication or incorrect dosage. The wrong medication could react to other medication they’re taking or they may be allergic. If the medication dosage is too high, an overdose could occur. Not enough medication may not treat the original issue.
- Surgical Error. When a surgical error occurs, tools or sponges could be left inside the patient and require another corrective surgery. Other mistakes include performing a procedure on the wrong patient or operating on the wrong body part.
- Anesthesia Error. For certain operations, anesthesia may be used. If this amount isn’t correct, it could result in an overdose and the patient has difficulty waking up, or it isn’t enough and the patient is awake during surgery.
- Premature Hospital Release. After a procedure or treatment, there should be a process before the patient is released. If they don’t go through this process they could go home and experience complications later.
- Lack of Informed Content. Before undergoing a procedure, patients need to be given information about it. This includes the possible benefits, drawbacks, and what they can expect. Then, they provide written consent. If this didn’t occur, then the patient couldn’t provide informed consent to the procedure.
Our lawyers will review medical records to find out how you were treated and how you were affected by the mistake. You may have sustained a permanent injury or missed a critical window to treat an illness and are now dealing with the ramifications of treating the health issues that arose from the medical provider’s error.
These mistakes should not have happened in the first place. With McMath Woods P.A. on your side, you’ll know that you have someone advocating for your rights for justice.
Why Do Medical Errors Happen?
You trust medical professionals to take care of you, so when you’re injured because of an error, you may wonder what caused this to happen. It’s possible that one of the following could have been a factor in your case:
- Inexperience. The medical provider may have not had the experience necessary to treat you. This could be from not having the training or they were asked to do something that they normally didn’t do.
- Fatigue. If a medical provider is working overtime or multiple shifts, they could be fatigued. They may not be alert and thinking clearly when treating you, which could lead to mistakes.
- Intoxication. It could be possible that the person treating you was under the influence of drugs or alcohol and that’s what caused your injuries.
Medical errors are preventable and the injuries that come from them could last a lifetime. When you’re dealing with the burdens of a medical mistake, it’s important to have reliable representation on your side. A medical malpractice lawyer from McMath Woods P.A. can help you navigate the legal process in Arkansas.
How Can a Pine Bluff Medical Malpractice Lawyer Help You?
Your medical malpractice attorney will conduct a full investigation and gather evidence to show that the following items were present in your case:
- Prove the Doctor-Patient Relationship. You need to prove that a doctor-patient relationship existed, which is when the medical provider agrees to treat you. If this didn’t happen, you likely will not have a valid case. For example, taking medical advice from someone you overheard or read online would not constitute a doctor-patient relationship.
- Prove They Failed to Meet the Standard of Care. Medical providers need to treat patients that meet the standard of care. Other medical professionals can provide expert testimony that establishes what the standard of care is and if the person treating you failed to meet this standard.
- You Sustained Injuries. As a result of the failure to meet the standard of care, you were hurt.
- The Injuries Caused Damages and Losses. The injuries you sustained caused you significant damages and losses.
Our lawyers will fight for your compensation to cover your economic and noneconomic losses. Economic damages include your past and future medical expenses, so you can pay off the medical bills you have and you’ll be able to afford the care you’ll need. Your wages for missed days of work and the days you’ll continue to miss while you recover will also be included.
The loss of enjoyment of life, pain and suffering from your injuries, and the mental anguish of experiencing the consequences of med mal are noneconomic losses that your lawyer will take into consideration when calculating your compensation.
Medical malpractice cases can become complex, which is why it’s best to have an experienced Pine Bluff medical malpractice lawyer help you. It’s important to seek a lawyer quickly because of the statute of limitations. In Arkansas, those injured through a medical error have two years to come forward. This time can pass quickly and you don’t want to miss the window and not be able to take legal action.
Reach Out to McMath Woods P.A.
A medical mistake can leave you with injuries, debt, and a long road to recovery. You deserve financial security and to get justice for what you’ve been through. Our law firm can help you fight for compensation and hold the negligent party accountable for their actions.
Contact us today for a free case evaluation so we can begin working on your case as quickly as possible. Your Pine Bluff medical malpractice lawyer will start to build you a strong case so you can focus on your recovery.
