If you have been injured due to medical practice, your recovery has likely been complicated and fraught with anxiety. Fortunately, as a patient, you have certain rights that you can pursue if a doctor or healthcare facility has caused you any harm. Learn more about how to identify an excellent medical malpractice lawyer in Baltimore and how your lawyer can help you win your case.
Four Qualities to Look for in a Medical Malpractice Lawyer in Baltimore
1. Experience With Medical Malpractice Cases
Your medical malpractice lawyer in Baltimore needs to have experience with medical malpractice cases. Medical malpractice cases are often difficult to prove and require extensive evidence to show how a healthcare professional or facility caused you harm. Because medical malpractice claims can take so long to settle, your lawyer must have a proven track record for winning malpractice cases.
2. Compassion for Your Pain and Suffering
Your lawyer should also show compassion for your pain and suffering. Many people who are victims of medical malpractice experience significant pain and discomfort from ongoing medical treatments, as well as new anxiety about potential malpractice as they continue to receive treatment. A good lawyer will show empathy for your pain and suffering and will also know how to leverage your pain and suffering for greater compensation.
3. Tenacity to Negotiate for Better Settlement
Your lawyer must be tenacious when it is time to negotiate for your medical malpractice settlement. Oftentimes, insurance companies representing doctors guilty of medical malpractice may want to offer lower compensation. Still, as an injured patient, you are entitled to compensation that will make up for all of your injuries and damages. Your lawyer will be committed to helping you receive the compensation you deserve.
4. Excellent Communication Skills
Finally, a good medical malpractice lawyer will have excellent communication skills. This means that you will be able to understand discussions about your case and that your lawyer will answer questions thoroughly and promptly. Furthermore, excellent communication skills can be a boon if your case goes to trial, since a lawyer with good communication skills can verbalize a more comprehensive argument in court.
What Do You Need to Know About Medical Malpractice Lawsuits?
Medical malpractice lawsuits can be challenging to win, particularly because medical treatments are inherently risky. However, if you believe you have been harmed by a doctor or healthcare facility, it’s your right as a patient to seek justice for any unexpected complications that occur after medical treatment. Visit this page to learn more about how to prove medical malpractice.
The Standard of Care
All doctors and healthcare facilities owe patients a standard of care. The standard of care is a common medical standard that medical professionals recognize. For example, the doctor treating you should follow standard advice for treatment from start to finish, and any deviation from the standard is considered a breach of the standard of care.
After establishing that there is a breach in the standard of care, your lawyer can then demonstrate that the deviation was related to negligence that caused your injuries. For a successful medical malpractice case, it’s imperative to prove negligence was involved in your injury and that your injury resulted in significant physical, financial, and emotional damages.
Types of Malpractice Claims
There are several types of malpractice claims that may apply to your case. For example, misdiagnosis, surgical malpractice, botched treatments, and failure to treat a medical concern can all be considered malpractice since these errors are all related to negligence. Birth injuries, wrongful death, and other types of harm caused by medical professionals and medical facilities may also qualify for medical malpractice lawsuits.
Who Can Be Sued for Malpractice
Any patient who was injured through negligence from a medical professional or medical facility is eligible to sue for medical malpractice. As for the specific people who can be sued for malpractice, this may include medical professionals such as pharmacists, doctors, surgeons, nurses, dentists, and lab technicians. In some cases, the medical facility where you received treatment may also be liable for your injuries due to negligence, including nursing homes, urgent care facilities, and hospitals.
Types of Damages You Can Claim
Although you may have received a physical or emotional injury from medical malpractice, the type of compensation you receive for your malpractice lawsuit will be for financial damages that can more easily be calculated. For example, it’s common to receive compensation for damages such as medical bills, ongoing medical costs, in-home care, long-term care, lost wages, temporary or permanent disability, and much more.
Medical malpractice cases are tough to win, but with an experienced lawyer, you will be able to build a case that proves negligence was involved in your medical injuries and damages. Qualities of a good medical malpractice lawyer include compassion, tenacity, and communication skills. Additionally, excellent lawyers can advocate for all the damages you are entitled to, including compensation for pain and suffering or emotional distress.
