Liability in Prince George’s County Medical Malpractice Claims

Whether a particular physician is legally liable for a patient’s unsatisfactory treatment outcome is difficult to answer. Every state defines “negligence” differently in medical malpractice claims than in other types of personal injury litigation.

Understanding in advance how liability in Prince George’s County medical malpractice claims works can help obtain the best possible outcome for you.

How Does the Standard of Care Apply in Malpractice Claims?

The biggest difference between medical malpractice claims and other personal injury cases is that negligence is based on a local standard of care rather than a duty of care. Doctors are held to a set standard of care based on what a trained professional doctor would do under similar circumstances.

This standard of care is what holds doctors responsible for treating their patients to avoid becoming civilly liable in Prince George’s County medical malpractice claims. The primary factor that differentiates one doctor’s standard of care from another is based on what a reasonably competent provider with the same or similar level of training would have done under the same or similar circumstances.

Establishing Liability for Malpractice by Multiple Parties

Even if a single doctor’s mistake was the main cause of a patient’s injury or worsened illness, various parties might have shared fault. Depending on the situation, this could include nurses and other people assisting the physician at the time, technicians who may have failed to correct a misinterpretation of test results, and the facility administrators where the negligent doctor was employed, among others.

Notably, if multiple people are liable for a plaintiff’s injuries in a medical malpractice case in Prince George’s County, all liable parties can be held both jointly and severally liable for that plaintiff’s damages. This means a single defendant out of the group may be held responsible for the full value of their damages. However, that defendant can then seek “contribution” from other defendants based on their share of the total fault.

A Prince George’s County Attorney Can Answer Your Questions About Liability in Medical Malpractice Claims

It is worth emphasizing that courts will generally not take injured people solely at their word that their doctor or another medical professional caused them harm through malpractice. Medical malpractice cases in Maryland usually require expert testimony that there was a deviation in the standard of care. Usually, this includes getting a statement from at least one medical expert affirming that a breach of the standard of care occurred and was a proximate cause of damages.

This complexity is just one reason why having help from seasoned legal counsel is so essential to proving liability in Prince George’s County medical malpractice claims. Call Price Benowitz today to discuss your options and receive a free case evaluation.