We trust our healthcare providers to provide the very best of care. But when a preventable medical mistake is made, the patient is the one who suffers the consequences. Life can change drastically when you or a loved one has been a victim of medical malpractice. The injuries can be devastating, with long-term and even permanent consequences.
What Is Medical Malpractice?
Medical malpractice or negligence can occur in many different ways. Medical malpractice is generally defined as the negligence of a physician or healthcare provider, which leads to injury. Some of the most common examples of medical malpractice include:
- Birth injuries, including fetal distress, cerebral palsy, brain injury and hypoxia
- Failure to diagnose, misdiagnosis and/or delayed diagnosis
- Emergency room negligence, including failure to provide prompt treatment
- Surgical errors, including anesthesia problems and wrong-site surgery
- Nursing malpractice
- Pathology and radiology errors
- Medication errors such as under/overdosing and pharmacy errors
- Premature discharge from a medical facility or inadequate follow-up care
- Anesthesia errors and/or negligent administration of anesthesia
- Unnecessary surgery, including unnecessary C-section
How Can Medical Malpractice Affect Your Life?
Depending on the type and severity of the injury, a patient may be able to recover from a medical malpractice error. However, a more serious injury — such as a defective medical implant or surgery at the wrong site — can have serious long-term consequences. This can affect both the body and mind in many ways, from difficulty with motor skills, reduced cognitive abilities, and sensory and perceptual trouble. As a result of adjusting to their new reality with a physical disability, many patients experience social-emotional changes as well, such as depression and anxiety.
Understanding Medical Malpractice Lawsuit Settlements
Whether your injury was due to a surgical error, defective medical product, complications from a medication or other form of medical malpractice, you deserve to be compensated for the negligence that caused you harm. A skilled law firm will assess your injury-related costs and go toe-to-toe with medical professionals to pursue all available options for your recovery. Here is some helpful information about medical malpractice lawsuits.
What are the average medical malpractice settlement amounts?
Because the range of possible medical mistakes is so broad, determining a specific number for an average settlement is impossible. This is especially true considering that the severity of the injury is also a major contributing factor.
How do medical malpractice settlements and verdicts work?
Because of powerful medical lobbyists, it can be very difficult to file suit against physicians and healthcare providers without the assistance of a lawyer. That’s why it’s crucial to partner with a personal injury firm that has the experience and diligence to successfully manage the case. The damages you may be entitled to include:
- Past and future medical expenses. This includes related medical costs you have already accumulated. Future medical care can also be analyzed by an expert life care planner and are also grounds for compensation.
- Past and future loss of income. If your medical malpractice injury prevented you from being able to resume work, you may be eligible for recovery.
- Pain and suffering. Not all damages can be reflected in a medical bill. The emotional and psychological pain that resulted from your injury is grounds for compensation — especially if it involved disfigurement or a sensitive part of the body.
- Loss of consortium. Severe injuries affect not just victims but their families, too. Your spouse may be eligible to file for loss of consortium, which compensates for the loss of affection and companionship after your accident.
Notable Medical Malpractice Settlements and Verdicts for JJS Clients
At Janet, Janet & Suggs, our firm has worked on countless medical malpractice and personal injury cases across the country. Our nationally recognized trial lawyers have helped thousands of families recover compensation for injuries caused by medical malpractice. We’ve been able to successfully litigate cases such as:
- Delayed C-Section Verdict ($33.5 million). A jury found that delays in performing an urgently needed cesarean section resulted in a baby developing severe brain damage and cerebral palsy.
- Failure to Diagnose Verdict ($24 million). One of the largest medical malpractice jury verdicts ever won in the District of Columbia, obtained for a child who suffered brain damage and cerebral palsy because her doctors failed to properly diagnose and respond to an airway obstruction.
- Fetal Monitoring Errors Verdict ($13.5 million). This record jury verdict in Iowa was obtained for a child’s cerebral palsy that resulted from inconsistent fetal heart monitoring during birth.
Locations We Serve
The skilled attorneys at JJS are proud to serve medical malpractice victims and their families all over the country — including in Baltimore, Chicago, Columbia, NYC, Philadelphia, Minneapolis, Charlotte and Des Moines.
How Janet, Janet & Suggs Can Help with Your Medical Malpractice Case
If you have been injured due to the negligence of a medical professional, it is your right to receive the compensation that you deserve. But managing a claim is incredibly difficult when you’re dealing with the aftermath of your injury. When you partner with JJS, we provide guidance on finances, medical care and other issues in addition to legal counsel. We’ll help hold the responsible party accountable — and seek the full measure of justice.
Contact us today for a free, no-obligation consultation to discuss your case. We’ll serve as the counsel and support you need so you can focus on healing.
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