When you seek the help of a medical professional, the last thing you expect is for them to make a mistake that will make you worse off than you were. Unfortunately, there are times when doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals make errors that can cause major harm.

When you need a medical malpractice attorney, you can count on the trusted professionals at The Weitz Firm, LLC to be by your side, working to secure the compensation you need for all of your incident-related expenses. Find out how much you could be awarded in your medical malpractice claim when you contact our office for a free case review.

How to Prove Medical Malpractice in Norristown

It is important to understand that there are various elements that need to be in place in order for a medical malpractice lawsuit to be successful in Pennsylvania.

  • Duty: It needs to be established that there was a relationship between the patient who became ill or injured and the medical professional who has been accused of malpractice. Traditionally, we will call this a doctor-patient relationship. If a patient is under the care of a doctor, then the doctor is required to perform their duties within an acceptable medical standard of care.
  • Breach of duty: It has to be shown that the medical professional in question failed to uphold the medical standard of care for the particular malpractice case. In order to prove this, expert medical witnesses will often be consulted who can show how the actions of the defendant differed from how similarly trained medical professionals would have handled a similar situation.
  • Causation: If it is discovered that a breach of duty did indeed occur, it needs to be shown that this breach of duty directly caused the patient’s injuries or illness.
  • Damages: Finally, it needs to be shown that the medical malpractice victim suffered some sort of quantifiable loss. This can include both economic and non-economic damages.

Common Types of Medical Mistakes

Most of us know that the practice of medicine involves some risks, but we expect medical professionals to perform at an acceptable level of care. If they are careless or negligent in their duties, preventable mistakes can be made. Did you know that research recently showed us that medical errors are the third leading cause of death in the United States? On average, 250,000 people lose their lives a year because of those errors.

But some types of medical mistakes occur more frequently than others. Some of the more common types of medical mistakes we see in Norristown medical malpractice lawsuits include:

Your first thought probably goes to doctor’s offices or hospitals when it comes to medical mistakes. But we also want you to consider the following places where you can become the victim of a medical mistake:

Ambulances staffed by paramedics and EMTs, either emergency or transport services.

Outpatient surgical centers are not as well-regulated as hospitals. Long-term assisted living facilities where our loved ones may reside.

“Minute clinics” are set up in pharmacies to treat minor medical issues.

The truth is that mistakes can occur anywhere you receive medical care, and any type of medical professional can cause medical mistakes. If you have been seriously injured or fallen ill due to a medical mistake in Norristown, you have the right to justice. A medical malpractice attorney at our firm could help you maximize your settlement so you can rebuild your life.

Fault for Medical Malpractice in Norristown

As we briefly mentioned medical malpractice can happen in any type of medical sending with any type of medical professional. But there are some types of medical professionals and healthcare providers that are often found liable in Norristown medical malpractice lawsuits. Some of these parties could include:

  • Doctors
  • Surgeons
  • Anesthesiologists
  • Midwives
  • Obstetricians
  • Nurses
  • Pediatricians

In many types of medical malpractice cases, there are multiple parties involved. This is because there are often several parties who are a part of treating you medically. Your attorney’s thorough investigation into the details of your case will determine who should be found liable for your injuries in order to compensate you for your suffering.

Major Expenses for Norristown Medical Malpractice Survivors

Healthcare is expensive for most Americans. When a mistake is made, it can greatly prolong your hospital stay, especially if major treatment is required to fix the mistake. This will only cause the costs of treatment to rise.

Who is responsible for the costs of this extended care? Who do you file a lawsuit against, the individual who made the mistake or the company or agency they work for? Those questions and more will likely run through your mind if you are the victim of a medical mistake. You may even wonder if you will be able to prove that you were harmed by the error.

What is Your Norristown Medical Malpractice Lawsuit Worth?

It is not unusual for victims of medical malpractice to wonder how much their claim could be worth. You have already been through so much. It is natural to want to know that the effort that you put in seeking compensation will pay off in the end. With that being said, you have the right to be repaid for every single way your life has been turned upside down by your injury or illness. Some of the different losses that you could recover in your Norristown medical malpractice lawsuit include:

  • Physical pain and suffering
  • Emotional distress
  • Loss of enjoyment of life
  • Loss of companionship and love
  • Loss of household services
  • Scarring
  • Disfigurement
  • Inconvenience
  • Damage to your reputation
  • Lost wages
  • Medical costs and equipment

Time Limits for Filing a Medical Malpractice Claim in Norristown

It is very important for those who think they have been injured or become ill due to the negligence of a medical professional to know that they have a limited amount of time to file these claims. In Pennsylvania, the medical malpractice statute of limitations is two years from the date of the alleged malpractice.

However, we want to point out that the medical malpractice statute of limitations in Pennsylvania can be paused (tolled) in the event a patient does not discover that they have been harmed by a medical mistake right away. The statute of limitations “clock” will begin ticking from the date a patient knows or should reasonably have discovered that their injury or illness was caused by the negligence of the medical provider.

Pennsylvania does have an overall seven-year statute of repose in place for medical malpractice claims. This means that no medical malpractice claim can be filed more than seven years from the date the alleged malpractice occurred, regardless of when the patient discovered or reasonably should have discovered the malpractice. The only exception to this rule is for cases where a foreign object is left behind in a person’s body.

Get Help From a Norristown Medical Malpractice Attorney Today

Please do not wait to seek legal help if you or a loved one have been harmed due to a medical professional’s mistake.

An experienced Norristown medical malpractice attorney at The Weitz Firm, LLC could help your family get through these tough times and obtain maximum compensation for your suffering. When you are ready to schedule your free, no-obligation consultation, fill out our online contact form. Or, call our office at 267-587-6240 so we can learn more about your potential medical malpractice lawsuit.

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