According to the medical malpractice center in the United States, medical malpractices account for about 15% of all personal injuries. This means that more than 20,000 people file medical malpractice claims every year. Medical malpractice occurs when a medical professional or a health care provider lacks to provide a patient with the appropriate care.
They either fail to take appropriate actions, offer substandard care, or neglect their patients, which leads to injury, harm, or in extreme cases, death. A malpractice claim may also involve a medical error in medication dosage, diagnosis, treatment, health management, or even aftercare.
The medical malpractice law provides for a patient to file for and receive compensation if, in any case, they were injured or received sub-standard treatment from their respective health care provider. Many lives are changed, and some are cut short due to medical errors. When a patient experiences an injury due to a deviation from the standard quality of care or medical negligence, they might not know whom to turn to.
The initial step to filing a medical malpractice claim is to find an excellent medical malpractice attorney. Usually, this is not a walk in the park; here are tips that will assist you in finding the best personal injury lawyer near you.
- Seek Advice from The People You Trust
Due to the prevalence of injuries and accidents at work, a person you know may have consulted a personal injury lawyer in the past. Asking around your circle might yield a reasonable and trusted attorney specializing in medical malpractices. Also, even when you don’t hire the person your friends hired, they will give you an idea of the process.
- Look Online
They say that anything can be found on the internet. Typing “malpractice lawyers near me” on a search engine will give you a list of law firms in your area that offer this kind of service. This is important because it offers you options and a place to begin your search.
- Consult the Bar Association
You can look up the bar association near you using the search engine. You can either call them directly or contact them through their website. The bar association will advise you on the best personal injury law firms near you.
- Talk to Different Law Firms Before Deciding on One
Medical malpractice cases have a limited time in which they must be filled. It’s therefore easy to rush the process and maybe pick the wrong law firm to help with your malpractice claim.
It’s therefore advisable to talk to more than or at least three recommended law firms before making any decision. Talking to different law firms will give you an idea of what to expect and what law firm might best help you achieve what you want.
- Make Good Use of The First Free Consultations
Many law firms offer free first consultations to clients with medical malpractice cases. This is important because at this time the client establishes their grounds by asking the necessary questions and seeking more about the prospective firm.
The most common questions a client can ask is if the firm has dealt with other malpractice claims before, how much they charge, who will be working on their case, among others. During this time the firm is also able to access the merits of the case.
Once you have found yourself an excellent medical malpractice attorney, it’s time to prepare for the case. First, you must schedule meetings with your attorney to prepare the case. Here are a few tips you could use while preparing for the case.
- Have the Right Purpose
Unfortunately, some people rush to claim medical malpractice out of malice, anger, and revenge. In truth, medical malpractice cases should only result from medical negligence resulting in injury.
Before taking action against a healthcare provider, it’s essential to determine if your heart is in the right place. Determining why you want to claim medical malpractice dictates the litigation process and can also determine the outcome. The probability of success for litigation based on malice, anger, and revenge is almost nil because most of these cases don’t hold up in court.
- Determine How the Providers Actions Led to Your Injury
For the litigation process to succeed, you must prove that the healthcare provider did not only make a mistake, but that mistake resulted in an injury. You must prove that the healthcare provider did not offer you the recommended standard of care and that breach in standards of care directly caused you an injury.
- Gather as Much Information as Possible.
Legal cases like medical malpractice are based solely on facts. You must therefore gather as much information about your claim as possible. You need to list the providers who offered their services to you and summarize the medical malpractice. You must be ready to talk about malpractice and how its injury has affected the quality of your life.
- Closely Examine Your Damages and Prepare the Necessary Documents
For successful litigation, you must explain your experience, how you obtained the injury and how that has impacted your quality of life. You must explain in-depth your experiences, your injuries, and the extent of how much you are suffering due to the injury. You must also prepare documents such as photos of the injury obtained, receipts and relevant medical bills, test results, and any other relevant medical record
- Discuss Your Attorney’s Fees and Payment
Medical cases are expensive, its therefore critical that you understand all the terms of payments for your lawyers before signing the contracts. Before choosing a law firm to represent your claim, you must wholly understand their payment terms.
Some law firms work on the basis of a contingency fee where they only charge a percentage of your winnings once they win a case for you. The truth is there must be a way your attorney’s firm plans on reimbursing their litigation fees. Thoroughly examining your attorneys’ contract before signing will ensure that there are no hidden charges, and if there are, you understand them
Finding Malpractice Lawyers Near Me
Medical malpractice claims are among the most complex claims. It’s therefore essential to seek consultation from well-versed medical malpractice attorneys on the best way forward. If you feel that the healthcare provider’s negligence caused your injury or that of a loved one, then you could be entitled to compensation. Find malpractice lawyers near you for a medical malpractice litigation consult.