Why You May Need a Lawyer for Your Medical Malpractice Case

The sworn duty of doctors and surgeons is to do everything in their power to heal you and take care of you. Medical professionals dedicate their entire lives to helping others. With this said, unfortunately, due to negligence, misinformation or other factors, medical malpractice is still a very prevalent occurrence in this day and age. In Florida alone, approximately 5,000 people die each year due to medical malpractice. If you or a loved one have suffered injuries due to medical negligence, it is advised that you contact a lawyer who specializes in medical malpractice cases.

What Is Medical Malpractice?

Medical malpractice occurs when a patient has been misdiagnosed or a medical professional performed his or her profession in another improper manner. When a patient has certain symptoms and his or her health suffers, he or she goes to see a physician to get treatment. It is the doctor’s duty to perform extensive tests to determine exactly what is the patient’s condition.

In medicine, there is a concept known as a differential diagnosis. This means that when someone comes in with certain symptoms, medical professionals have to check for all of the possibilities until they determine the exact condition. If they do not do this and they are not professional in diagnosing the problem, the patient might receive the wrong treatment. After being discharged, the problem might continue to develop and may escalate into an emergency situation in the future. This is a case of medical malpractice.

For example, if someone is experiencing chest pains, coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath, he or she may suffer from everything from the flu to lung cancer. If someone with these symptoms goes to see a physician and asks for help, the doctor must be 100% sure when diagnosing the illness. If the doctor labels the condition as a common cold, but in reality, it’s lung cancer, the patient’s health will continue to degrade, which will result in worse outcomes and possibly even death.

Why Do You Need a Medical Malpractice Lawyer?

In cases of medical malpractice, often times the patient suffers irreparable damages. He or she could be left with a crippling disability or could even suffer fatal injuries. Even if the medical condition is not so serious it is worsened by the fact that the patient did not receive the proper treatment. This can result in huge medical bills and physical and emotional pain.

A medical malpractice attorney knows how to deal with cases of medical negligence. He or she is ready to investigate and find evidence, interview witnesses and establish liability. Because of medical negligence, there will be immense medical costs for both past and ongoing care of the patient, possible lost wages due to the patient’s inability to go to work and physical and emotional damages. Taking all these factors into consideration, an experienced lawyer will try to obtain fair compensation in order to ease the plaintiff’s situation.

There is a time frame in which you can file a medical malpractice claim. For example, in Florida, the time window is for two years. Because of this, people must react fast and hire a lawyer who has trial experience to help their case. This is the best way to help your cause and fight for your rights for adequate treatment. Do not hesitate, if you or your loved one have suffered from medical negligence, seek out help and ask for what you are entitled to.

Sean M. Cleary is an accomplished personal injury attorney, founder and president of The Law Offices of Sean M. Cleary, who has obtained millions of dollars in compensation for victims of medical negligence with verdicts throughout Florida.