When you trust a medical professional with your health, you expect them to act in your best interests and help you get back to normal. You may encounter a number of health care providers, like nurses, doctors, surgeons, pharmacists and more. Unfortunately, if one of those providers acts negligently, they could cause irreversible harm. If you or a loved one has suffered because of a medical professional’s mistake, you may be eligible for compensation. Because medical malpractice cases can be complex, it’s best to have a dependable Fulton County medical malpractice lawyer at your side.
Bey & Associates, LLC calls Atlanta, Georgia home. We’re proud to help victims of negligence get back on track after suffering injuries and damages. When we’re representing you, we’ll begin an investigation to find evidence that your health care provider owed you a duty of care, deviated from that care, their care caused your injury, and you’ve suffered because of it. Let’s look into the various ways medical malpractice can occur.
Medical Errors Can Occur in Many Ways
A medical error can occur if there’s a mistake on a patient’s chart, the health care provider is fatigued, or the hospital doesn’t have protocols and procedures that increase patient safety. When these factors are present, the following instances of medical negligence may happen:
- Misdiagnosis/Failure to Diagnose. A misdiagnosis is when the doctor comes to the incorrect conclusion after assessing the patient’s symptoms. Biases and assumptions can sometimes lead the doctor to the wrong conclusion. When the patient starts treatment, they won’t be treating the original problem and it could allow it to worsen. Failure to diagnose occurs when they do not arrive at a diagnosis. The patient will not be able to treat their symptoms. A failure to diagnose could cause life-threatening situations.
- Birth Injury. When medical professionals involved with the mother’s or the baby’s health make a mistake, they could cause harm. Negligence can cause permanent birth injuries like cerebral palsy. Babies may also suffer from physical injuries if surgical tools are used incorrectly.
- Medication Error. Receiving the wrong medication or the wrong dosage could prevent someone from getting the treatment they need and put their health at risk. If they’re getting the wrong medication, there’s a possibility of them having an allergic reaction or other adverse reaction that causes injuries. Dosage issues could cause problems where the medication doesn’t help the patient, or they’re given too much and they suffer from symptoms of overdose.
- Emergency Room Error. The emergency room may have patients that can wait to be seen, but some may present symptoms that require immediate care. Doctors need to recognize these instances and get the patient the help they need in a timely manner or the patient is at risk of suffering a critical health event, like a heart attack.
- Surgical Error. While it’s common to be nervous about surgery, many people trust their surgeons to do the procedure and the patient will recover and benefit from the surgery. However, sometimes surgeons do the wrong procedure on the patient or operate on the wrong limb. Surgeons may also leave tools and sponges inside the patient, which can cause discomfort and infection. These experiences are traumatic, can cause pain, and will likely need another surgery to correct the mistake—if it can be corrected.
- Defective Medical Devices. Patients can rely on medical devices to help them maintain their health. Surgeons and other health care providers may also rely on devices during procedures or on a regular basis to monitor their patients’ vitals. If a defective medical device fails to work, it could put the patient’s life at risk. Some devices could cause infection while others may break down over time and cause painful injuries.
We understand how difficult it can be to realize your health care provider acted negligently and caused pain and suffering. That’s why our medical malpractice lawyers will seek to maximize your compensation so you can recover.
The Benefits of Seeking Compensation for Medical Malpractice
When you’re thinking about filing a medical malpractice claim, you may wonder if the process is worth it. Some may think they’d rather not deal with the legal process at all. However, when you file a claim, it sends a clear message to the negligent health care provider and it’s the best way of getting the compensation you need to recover.
After an injury from medical negligence, you may need significant care to regain your health. This can result in a pile of medical bills—and you could also expect more in the future if you need to continue your care. You shouldn’t have to worry about bills and debt when you’re trying to recover from injuries that weren’t your fault.
Another major part of your recovery may require you take off work. Missing days of pay could start to add to your financial stress. Sometimes, people choose to go back to work before they’re healed and against their doctor’s orders so they can keep up with their bills and other expenses. However, pushing your body through this when it’s trying to heal could slow down the healing process. You could even reinjure yourself.
When our lawyers are at your side, we’ll fight for your compensation to cover these financial losses, so you don’t have to worry about how you’re going to afford your care. We’ll also seek other losses as well, like the pain and suffering you endured because of the medical negligence. If the doctor had acted responsibly, your injuries wouldn’t have happened and you wouldn’t have had to experience the pain you went through and continue to go through. Our Fulton County medical malpractice attorneys will make sure that all of your losses are accounted for when determining your compensation.
Get Representation You Can Trust
Our lawyers will help you make your voice be heard. We’re not going to back down from getting you the justice you deserve. A hospital could have a team of lawyers as their own representation and may insist malpractice did not occur. If this persistence continues, your case may need to go to court for you to have your chance of getting fair compensation. Our legal team is prepared to represent you in court and give you tips on how the courtroom proceedings will go so you’re ready.
Medical malpractice cases in Georgia have a statute of limitations of two years from the date of injury. It’s important to start your case as soon as possible so you can get the compensation you need. Give Bey & Associates, LLC a call for a free consultation. Our Fulton County attorneys will go over your case with you and discuss your legal options.
