Anne Arundel County Medical Malpractice Lawyer
A basic principle of medical ethics is to “do no harm.” When people seek medical attention for an illness, injury, or medical condition, they expect their physicians and healthcare professionals to uphold this tenet and to provide a level of care that is acceptable to the medical professional community. Any professional negligence or failure to practice the standard of care that causes the patient harm is considered medical malpractice. Each year, millions of Americans are injured as a result of preventable medical errors, and thousands die from these medical mistakes.
For those suffering as a result of medical negligence, a malpractice lawsuit may be the best avenue for obtaining the compensation needed for physical, emotional, and financial recovery. The Anne Arundel County medical malpractice lawyers at our firm have the experience, skill, and resources to help malpractice victims obtain the fullest settlement or judgment award possible.
What is Medical Malpractice?
There is a standard of care that is deemed acceptable by medical professionals. This means that, provided the symptomatic evidence and diagnostic tools available, a physician or healthcare provider would reasonably make certain decisions for a patient’s treatment. If a medical professional fails to follow protocols, performs his or her duties in a negligent fashion, or fails to act when a patient’s condition warrants treatment, he or she may be held liable for any resulting harm to the patient. There are four elements that should be proven in a medical malpractice claim:
- Duty: The medical professional was responsible for the care of the patient and had a legal duty to provide treatment.
- Breach of Duty: The medical professional did not provide the relevant standard of care, either through act or omission.
- Damage: The patient was harmed by the health care provider’s breach of duty, suffering physical or emotional injury.
- Cause: The patient’s injury was caused by the medical professional’s breach of duty.
If any of these elements is missing, the plaintiff is unlikely to have a successful malpractice claim. For example, if a doctor provides reasonable treatment but the patient is not healed or cured, the patient does not have grounds for a malpractice claim because the physician upheld the standard of care. As your Anne Arundel county medical malpractice attorney can explain, bad medical result alone is not equivalent to malpractice. Similarly, if a doctor makes a mistake, but the patient is uninjured, the harmless error does not constitute malpractice. Examples of medical malpractice include:
- Physician Error
- Emergency Room Error
- Surgical Mistakes
- Failure to Diagnose
- Prescription Error
- Medication Mistakes
- Birth Injury
If you have suffered following medical treatment, consult an Anne Arundel County medical malpractice lawyer to see if you have a case. If the four elements of malpractice are evident, you may be able to receive a monetary award for any damages incurred as a result of medical negligence.
How Often Does Medical Malpractice Occur?
The medical profession would have patients believe that malpractice is a rarity. In fact, many people are under the assumption that medical malpractice lawsuits are largely pursued by people making false claims in an effort to bilk money from the doctors and hospitals. According to the American Association for Justice, “People have been led to believe that there are hundreds of thousands of medical negligence lawsuits every year and only a handful of genuine medical errors. In reality, the reverse is true. There are very few medical negligence lawsuits, and hundreds of thousands of patients dying from preventable medical errors.” However, the organization’s statistics refute this claim. In the years 2004-2006, there were 38,363 payouts to victims of medical malpractice. You do not have to accept a poor outcome to treatment as your fate. While there are inherent risks in any course of medical care, an adverse reaction should not be the result of inadequate, unprofessional care. Find an Anne Arundel county medical malpractice lawyer who can help you determine your best course of action for holding accountable those liable for your suffering.
Malpractice Representation in Anne Arundel County, Maryland
The medical malpractice lawyers at our firm provide assertive and effective personal injury and wrongful death representation to victims of medical malpractice in Maryland, including those in Anne Arundel County, near the state’s population center. The home of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis and the National Security Agency at Fort George G. Meade, Anne Arundel County is served by three hospitals:
- Anne Arundel Medical Center in Annapolis
- Baltimore Washington Medical Center in Glen Burnie
- Harbor Hospital in Brooklyn
According to Third Age hospital rankings for Anne Arundel County, as many as 82% of respondents would recommend Anne Arundel Medical Center in Annapolis to friends and family, with 76% of those responding to the survey giving the medical center a ranking of 9 or 10 on a scale of 1 to 10. Baltimore Washington Hospital and Harbor Hospital received somewhat lower rankings, with each hospital being recommended by 69% and 65%, respectively. If you or someone you love is a victim of medical malpractice in an Anne Arundel County hospital, clinic, or other medical facility, call our offices today to schedule a free consultation with an experienced medical malpractice attorney. For general information on medical malpractice claims in Maryland, visit us here.
