Personal injury lawyer recommends steps to take if you are the victim of medical malpractice

Attorneys at Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys represented an estate and a widow in a medial malpractice case against a hospital in the death of her husband. The suit claimed that the hospital's nurse did not follow hospital policies nor the surgeon's orders when she administered a medication when it was not indicated, causing the death of the patient. Last week, a jury awarded the patient's estate $1.5 million in the medical malpractice case.

According to an article in Pro Publica, a study in a current issue of the Journal of Patient Safety reports that between 210,000 and 440,000 patients each year who go to the hospital for care suffer some type of preventable harm that contributes to their death. That would make medical errors the third leading cause of death in America, behind heart disease and cancer.

What is Medical Malpractice?

Medical malpractice refers to professional negligence by a health care professional or provider in which treatment provided was substandard, and caused harm, injury or death to a patient. In the majority of cases, the medical malpractice or negligence involved a medical error, possibly in diagnosis, medication dosage, health management, treatment or aftercare. The error may have been because nothing was done (an act of omission), or a negligent act.

According to an article in Becker's Hospital Review based on information from Diederich Healthcare's 2014 Medical Malpractice Payout Analysis, medical malpractice payouts grew to $3.7 billion in 2013, nearly 5% more than in 2012. Becker's reported the top five states for medical malpractice payouts, per capita as New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland and Connecticut.

When medical personnel are negligent with their patients, the results are often devastating. If you believe that you or a loved one are a victim of medical malpractice, you may be entitled to compensation for damages.

The personal injury lawyers at Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys recommend the following steps to take if you believe you are a victim of medical negligence:

• Find an experienced and reputable medical malpractice lawyer.
• Move quickly. Be aware that you need to file your claim within a certain period of time from when the injury occurred. Your lawyer will know the state laws in your particular state to ensure the time period for filing your claim does not run out.
• Request copies of all of your medical records.
• Write down everything that happened while it's still fresh in your mind.
• Once you've hired a lawyer, an investigation will be conducted to determine if there was negligence involved. The lawyer will obtain copies of all of your medical records and contact any hospitals, physicians and other health care providers that may have been involved in your case.
• After your case has been investigated and examined, if negligence is found, file a lawsuit.

The Pennsylvania personal injury lawyers at Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys understand the life-altering consequences of medial negligence. We are experts in medical malpractice cases and can fight to get you the compensation you deserve. Call Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys today for a free consultation 855-866-5529.