Loudoun County Medical Malpractice Attorney

As part of the medical profession’s code of ethics, physicians and other health care practitioners are charged with a duty to practice a standard of care that does not harm their patients. If you or someone you love has been injured by a negligent medical professional, you have the right to pursue compensation for your pain, suffering, and economic loss. Health care professionals including doctors, nurses, and other medical personnel are obligated to provide a level of care that meets acceptable professional standards. When a physician fails to provide this standard of care, he or she can be held liable for any resulting harm through a medical malpractice claim. Filing a claim and pursuing litigation can be difficult, but with the help of an experienced Loudoun County medical malpractice lawyer, you can get the compensation you need to protect your livelihood. Contact our attorneys today for a no-obligation, free consultation of your case. The medical malpractice attorneys at our firm are experienced in handling claims in both Loudoun County and other jurisdictions in Virginia.

Aggressive Loudoun County Medical Malpractice Lawyers

Medical malpractice attorneys are able to protect you whenever a medical professional has not performed up to the required standard of care. Victims in a medical malpractice case can feel overwhelmed because they suffered additional injures when they were seeking treatment, injuries that can lead to pain and other physical, financial and emotional losses. When you retain the services of a well-qualified malpractice lawyer in Loudoun County, he can help you understand all of the facts pertaining to the case and will search for proof that the physician or medical professional failed to perform the necessary duties of care for their patient.

Understanding Medical Malpractice

Loudoun County Medical Malpractice Attorney Price Benowitz LLPMedical malpractice is professional negligence that causes or leads to patient harm. When a health care provider owes a duty of care to a patient, but fails to fulfill that duty by providing a substandard level of care resulting in patient injury, medical malpractice has occurred. A physician or medical professional may commit malpractice through either act or omission, through doing something he or she shouldn’t or failing to do something he or she should.

Statistics regarding the prevalence of medical malpractice are alarming. An Institute of Medicine report revealed that 98,000 people die each year from preventable medical errors (note: the following PDF will open in a new window), but The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) estimates that the number of deaths is actually 225,000 annually. Other reports show that 15 million people are injured each year due to medical mistakes. In spite of these staggering numbers, relatively few medical malpractice claims are pursued, perhaps because the complexity of malpractice litigation. Loudoun County medical malpractice lawyers will vigorously defend against any claim, attempting to deny the culpability of their clients and to discredit any link between the health care provider’s actions and the patient’s injuries. With skillful representation, however, a plaintiff may be able to recoup damages and be awarded financial compensation for injuries sustained as a result of negligent, substandard care. Our Loudoun County medical malpractice attorneys are well-equipped with the knowledge, skill, and resources to successfully handle your medical negligence or wrongful death claim.

Elements Required for Successful Claims in Virginia

In Virginia, there are four main elements required for a successful medical malpractice case.  The plaintiff must be able to prove that:

  1. A doctor-patient or similar working relationship existed between the two parties. For instance, plaintiffs who were injured as the result of taking a potentially dangerous medication a physician prescribed for someone else would not have the basis for a claim.
  2. The physician or other medical provider breached the duty he or she owed to the patient by deviating from a reasonable standard of care.
  3. The breach caused an injury. The injury must be connected to the substandard care, or there can be no recovery.
  4. Damage (whether physical or psychological) resulted. The amount of damage sustained by the claimant forms the basis for a financial settlement with the defendant.

In Loudoun County, a reliable medical malpractice lawyer will be well-versed in local and state negligence laws and the best manner in which to apply those laws to your specific case. When it comes to a settlement, you want to make sure you get the benefits to which you are entitled. If you try to handle the case on your own, or with substandard representation, you may wind up getting little to no compensation for the harms and losses you have suffered. Using an attorney with a favorable track record in malpractice cases can ease you fears and bring the likelihood for positive results.  Being injured is horrible enough. Receiving paltry or nonexistent benefits makes the situation that much more unbearable. You deserve the chance to recover, which requires fair and adequate compensation.

Beyond peace of mind, there are other reasons why you should never go into a medical malpractice case without quality legal representation. Dedicated personal injury attorneys in Loudoun County are experienced and comfortable with negotiating with aggressive insurance companies. They understand exactly what needs to be done and how to approach your case. Insurance companies often try to settle for far less than what you deserve, which is where the assistance of an attorney is so crucial. They know what you are entitled to receive, and they will work to earn you the compensation you deserve. Instead of struggling to deal with insurance companies who don’t have your best interest at heart, let your lawyer handle the legal details so that you can focus on healing physically, mentally and emotionally.

Examples

Anyone involved in a patient’s care may be held liable for medical malpractice if he or she fails to provide an acceptable standard of care. Birth trauma, prescription error, medication dosing mistakes, wrong site surgery, and failure to diagnose are all forms of medical negligence. At Price Benowitz LLP, we offer effective representation to clients in Loudoun County, Virginia, who have been harmed by acts of medical negligence including:

  • Missed diagnosis, missed diagnosis, or delayed diagnosis
  • Surgical error
  • Obstetric error
  • Anesthesia error
  • Medication error
  • Lack of Informed Consent
  • Psychiatric Malpractice
  • Dental Malpractice

Physicians may make critical errors when they are burdened by fatigue, high case loads, and high-pressure decision-making. Nurses are prone to medical mistakes and medication errors through a lack of communication with physicians, inadequate reporting systems, and high patient-to-nurse staffing ratios. Improperly maintained medical equipment, lack of training, and failure to assess a patient’s symptoms or medical history are all potential causes of medical malpractice. Though a course of treatment may not provide the hoped-for result, an unfortunate outcome is not necessarily the result of malpractice. If, however, professional negligence led to patient harm, the health care provider may be held liable for his or her failure to provide appropriate care.

Injuries associated with medical malpractice include traumatic brain injury, nerve damage, disfigurement, delayed treatment, prolonged pain or illness, and wrongful death. A Loudoun County medical malpractice lawyer can help victims of negligence gain financial compensation for damages incurred.

Time is a Factor in Medical Malpractice Claims

Make sure to be proactive in filing your claim for negligence. Once you know something is not right, you want to contact an experienced medical malpractice attorney as soon as possible.Make sure to be proactive in filing your claim for negligence. Once you know something is not right, you want to contact an experienced Loudoun County medical malpractice lawyer as soon as possible. Don’t delay in requesting your records or making an appointment to speak with counsel. With a few exceptions, medical malpractice suits in Virginia are governed by the Commonwealth’s two-year statute of limitations, meaning that most claims must be filed within two years of the injury or there is a legal bar to recovery. An attorney will make sure to get all of the documentation in order and file everything that needs to be filed.

Understanding the court system is crucial to the potential success of your case. Lawyers understand what paperwork needs to be filed and when. They understand the burden of proof and common defense strategies in medical malpractice cases. If something gets missed, it could end up negating your claim as medical malpractice statutes have strict procedural requirements.

If you feel that you or a loved one were victims of negligence by a medical provider, do not hesitate to call the medical malpractice attorneys at Price Benowitz LLP today. Our Loudoun County team will help you negotiate the settlement you deserve or, if that’s not possible, litigate your case aggressively in court. We have a wealth of experience protecting the rights of patients and making sure they receive the settlements to which they are entitled under the law. Call our Leesburg office today, (703) 596-3577, to set up a free consultation and learn more about how we can help you.

A Loudoun County Medical Malpractice Lawyer Can Help

The people of Loudoun County, Virginia, enjoy the highest median income in the nation, and the county is home to several satellite campuses of major universities, including George Washington University, George Mason University, Shenandoah University, and Marymount University. The medical needs of the community are served by Inova Loudoun Hospital, located in the county seat of Leesburg. US News Best Hospitals rankings list Inova Loudoun as the eleventh best hospital in Virginia and the eighth best in the Washington, DC, metro area. The report shows Inova Loudoun Hospital to feature six high-performing specialties, including Gastroenterology, Nephrology, Pulmonology, Geriatrics, Orthopedics, and Urology. Although the hospital is recognized in northern Virginia, the chance of preventable medical error still exists.

If you or someone you love has been injured by medical malpractice at Inova Loudoun Hospital or other clinic or medical facility in the area, contact a Loudoun County medical malpractice attorney as quickly as possible to discover your options for financial recovery. Our attorneys are committed to providing sound legal counsel and effective representation to help our clients win the compensation they deserve. Call our law offices today for your free consultation.