What Kind of Lawyer Do I Need for Medical Malpractice?
What is Medical Malpractice?
Medical malpractice generally refers to the failure of a medical professional to treat a patient properly. Any act or omission by the medical professional which fails to meet the accepted and applicable medical standard of care may constitute medical malpractice. Malpractice may occur in various contexts, including an improper or missed diagnosis, surgical accidents, providing the wrong medication, or several other errors that could cause severe harm or death to the patient.
Is Medical Malpractice a Civil or Criminal Suit?
While medical malpractice may often severely injure or even kill victims, these claims are almost always civil offenses. Only in rare cases may medical malpractice claims also result in criminal charges for the medical professional, where law enforcement may charge the professional with gross negligence or involuntary manslaughter where the professional was extremely careless or showed extreme indifference to their responsibility for caring for their patients.
When Should I Sue for Medical Malpractice?
Not all medical malpractice cases may require a lawsuit to pursue compensation, while other potential issues may not be sufficient to justify a lawsuit. When deciding whether you should sue, it is crucial to begin by remembering that not every medical negligence case will justify a medical malpractice lawsuit. There must also be proof that you were injured and that this medical negligence caused these injuries. Further, if the treatment was merely unsuccessful, this may often not constitute medical malpractice. Finally, in some cases involving more blatant medical malpractice, the insurer may move quickly to settle your claim before you ever need to file a medical malpractice claim, which allows you to save the time and expenses of a lawsuit and potential trial.
If you believe you have been injured due to medical negligence, you should contact a medical malpractice attorney like Michael J. Brennan to discuss your legal options and whether you may have a case. Your attorney can discuss your case with you and often seek expert advice from medical experts in the field as to whether your case may justify a medical malpractice lawsuit.
What Kind of Lawyer Do I Need for Medical Malpractice?
If you have been injured due to medical malpractice, you will need a skilled personal injury attorney with years of experience pursuing medical malpractice cases. Medical negligence cases are often incredibly complicated and require extensive research, investigation, and consultation with expert witnesses. Given the complexity and costs associated with medical malpractice cases, finding the right attorney may be difficult. First, you should look for an attorney who focuses in handling medical malpractice cases. You want an attorney who has experience handling a variety of medical negligence cases.
Fortunately, there are several steps you can take to find the right kind of lawyer to handle your case, such as:
Seek a Referral from a Lawyer You Trust
One of the first ways to find the right kind of lawyer to handle your medical malpractice claim is to contact another lawyer that you know to ask for a referral. Other lawyers may be able to recommend a skilled personal injury lawyer who specializes in medical malpractice claims to help you. If you know a lawyer you trust, taking advantage of their professional relationships with peers may help you narrow your options.
Do Your Research
Next, you can do your research, often online or by contacting your local or state bar association to locate lawyers with a medical malpractice focus. Many lawyers also now have websites that offer an excellent opportunity to research the attorney, see the practice areas they work in, and learn more about the lawyer.
Ask Questions
Finally, once you have a shortlist of experienced medical malpractice attorneys and have conducted some research on your own, you should contact each lawyer and ask them various questions. You should begin by asking about the attorney’s experience as a lawyer and handling medical negligence claims. Ask about the number of such cases as well as about those cases. You should also ask the lawyer about the medical expert witnesses the attorney may expect to prove that the medical professional was negligent in caring for you.
If you or a loved one has been injured due to medical malpractice, you should contact Michael J. Brennan to obtain the help of an attorney experienced in handling medical malpractice lawsuits. Michael can help manage your case throughout the lawsuit process and help you seek any compensation you may be entitled to.