When you suffer an injury because of a doctor’s mistake, a Reading medical malpractice lawyer is the person you want in your corner. Having championed the rights of injured Pennsylvanians since 1959, Munley Law’s attorneys have the experience, knowledge, and skills required to pursue justice and fair compensation on your behalf or on behalf of your loved one.
Four of our attorneys are board-certified in Civil Trial Law and Civil Trial Advocacy by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. Our lawyers have also held leadership roles in the American Association for Justice and other organizations. In addition, they’ve been honored for their work by Irish Legal 100, Lawdragon, The Summit Council, Litigation Counsel of America, Super Lawyers, Best Lawyers, the National Trial Lawyers, Best Law Firms, and others.
Dealing with medical malpractice on your own is never easy. It can take a toll on your body, mind, and wallet. However, with a knowledgeable Reading medical malpractice attorney on your side, you don’t have to go through it alone. They’ll do the heavy lifting — gathering evidence, talking to medical experts, and standing up for your rights — so you can concentrate on getting better.
If you or someone you love has suffered because of medical malpractice, don’t wait. Reach out to a Reading injury lawyer at Munley Law today.
Contact a Personal Injury Lawyer at Munley Law
Call Us At 844-686-5397 How Do Medical Malpractice Attorneys in Reading Prove Negligence?
As with any personal injury claim, to prove negligence in medical malpractice claims, our Reading medical malpractice law firm will need to illustrate the following elements exist in your doctor-patient relationship:
- A professional duty was owed to the patient by the healthcare provider
- There was a breach of the duty of care when the healthcare provider acted negligently
- The breach caused an injury to the patient
- The injury resulted in further injury or illness, extensive medical bills, disability, lost wages, etc.
Unfortunately, proving that medical negligence occurred can be difficult, especially without a law firm equipped with experienced medical malpractice attorneys. You will need a second opinion from a medical expert who can prove that negligence resulted in your injuries. Under 231 Pa. Code Rule 1042.3, this expert will need to provide a certificate of merit.
“At Munley Law, our mission is simple: to provide all injury victims equal access to justice, even against the most powerful entities. For more than 65 years, we have been the voice for the injured, the forgotten, and those who need someone to stand beside them in their darkest hour.”
Marion Munley
Why Choose Munley Law for Your Reading Medical Malpractice Lawyer?
At Munley Law, our law firm has some of the nation’s highest-regarded medical malpractice lawyers who have earned accolades from Best Lawyers in America, top client and peer ratings from Martindale-Hubbell, and various honors from Pennsylvania Super Lawyers.
Best Lawyers named Marion Munley Lawyer of the Year for Medical Malpractice Law and Personal Injury Litigation, while the National Trial Lawyers named Caroline Munley among the Top 25 Medical Malpractice Trial Lawyers in Pennsylvania. Martindale-Hubbell honored all our partners with the highest ratings, namely AV Preeminent, and presented Caroline with the Silver Client Champion Award. Additionally, all our partners were named to the Irish Legal 100 list and the Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers list. Marion was named to the Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America list. She was also named a Pennsylvania Trailblazer by the Legal Intelligencer. Marion’s the current Vice President of the American Association for Justice.
Our firm has secured millions of dollars in settlements and verdicts for injury victims, including compensation for:
- Medical bills
- Lost wages
- Disability
- Pain and suffering
- Wrongful death
Some of our major client victories include $5 million, $4.35 million, $3.5 million, and $3.2 million medical malpractice cases. We also secured a $3 million settlement for a woman who had been misdiagnosed with cancer and a $2 million settlement from a foreign medical device manufacturer. We have helped other victims of the negligence of healthcare providers, and we can help you.
How Much Time Do You Have to File a Medical Malpractice Case?
There’s no time to waste, as patients and their families have two years from the date of the alleged negligence to file a claim, under 42 Pa. C.S.A. § 5524 (2). Though two years may seem like ample time, the more time that passes, the less evidence you may be able to collect, hurting the strength of your claim and limiting the amount of compensation you may recover.
What are the Most Common Reading Medical Malpractice Claims?
The Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania indicates that 20 medical malpractice cases were filed in Berks County in 2024. In comparison, the Pennsylvanian Coalition for Civil Justice Reform reported that 616 medical malpractice cases were filed in Philadelphia in the same year. In Reading, these claims result from a variety of situations.
Some of the most common medical malpractice cases that our injury lawyers in Reading see are:
- Birth injuries: It is estimated that of every 1,000 infants born in the United States, 6 to 8 of those babies are born with a birth injury. A birth injury, or birth trauma, can occur just due to the natural birthing process or because of the use of force during labor and delivery. A few common birth injuries include cerebral palsy, Erb’s palsy, fractures, facial nerve damage, and perinatal asphyxia. A birth injury attorney in Reading will take a look at what caused your baby’s injury and determine whether medical negligence was the cause.
- Surgical Mistakes: Medical professionals who work in hospitals and aftercare facilities receive extensive training to ensure patient safety and success. However, when doctors fail or patients contract hospital-acquired infections, the healthcare provider needs to be held accountable. Common surgical mistakes include paralysis, spinal and brain injuries, and unnecessary amputation. However, during medical procedures, patients may also be left with surgical devices inside them, such as sponges, scalpels, etc. Our medical malpractice lawyers can utilize medical records and surgery notes to determine if medical negligence occurred during surgery or in the aftercare, which resulted in serious injury or wrongful death.
- Hospital Negligence:There are numerous hospital facilities in Reading, PA. Unfortunately, even in the best hospitals, medical negligence can still occur. When a medical provider makes medical errors that result in injury or wrongful death, the victim or their family is able to recover compensation in a personal injury lawsuit or a wrongful death case. In many cases, the hospital will absorb the burden of the negligence of the at-fault provider.
- Misdiagnosis and Cancer Misdiagnosis: Studies suggest that in the United States, 12 million people are affected by medical diagnostic errors each year, with approximately 40,000 to 80,000 people dying annually from complications due to misdiagnosis. A Reading medical malpractice attorney from Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys can help you or your loved ones through the medical malpractice lawsuit process and work to hold the medical providers accountable.
- Failure to Inform of Risks:Patients are required to give and provide informed consent before undergoing any care or treatment by medical providers. However, this doesn’t always occur. When a patient is not informed of all the risks and potential complications or long-term effects of a medical procedure or treatment, the patient and their family need to contact a malpractice lawyer.
- Medication Errors:Whether it’s an over-the-counter prescription or a dosage prescribed after a hospital treatment, when patients experience medication errors, the results can be catastrophic. Medication errors are a medical malpractice issue that can be easily avoided when a provider carefully reviews patient records and checks on the prescription dosage. However, if you or a loved one suffered illness because of medication errors, a Reading medical malpractice lawyer from Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys can help.
If you or a loved one suffered at the hands of a negligent medical provider, our Reading personal injury lawyers can help.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Medical Malpractice in Reading, PA
How Do I Know if I Have a Malpractice Case in Reading?
Unfortunately, it’s not often very clear that medical negligence occurred. In rare cases, the doctor may admit a mistake; however, that does not mean he or she acted with negligence. If it can be proven that your doctor or another medical professional acted with a reasonable duty of care to avoid harm to you or your loved one, you may not have a claim. This is the difference between an honest error and a doctor failing a patient.
The best way to determine if you have a medical malpractice case is to contact a Reading medical malpractice lawyer to review the facts of your case.
Can I Afford to Hire a Reading Medical Malpractice Lawyer Near Me?
Most injury law firms work on a contingency fee basis, which means you are only charged a percentage of the winnings from the settlement or verdict. At Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys, our medical malpractice lawyers never collect more than you earn, and charge you nothing up front.
This means that if we don’t win your malpractice suit, you don’t owe us anything. For most malpractice victims, they can’t afford to go without a medical malpractice lawyer.
Is Nursing Home Abuse in Reading Considered Medical Malpractice?
If an elderly individual is receiving medical care in a nursing home, it may constitute malpractice. However, just being in a residential facility where abuse has taken place is not always the same as medical negligence.
Instead, the family or victim of nursing home abuse would file a different injury lawsuit to hold the facility accountable.
If you are unsure if you have a nursing home or malpractice claim, contact our Reading nursing home abuse lawyer.
I Provided Consent for a Procedure But Something Went Wrong. Can I Sue?
Even if you provided informed consent for a procedure, if negligence occurred, you still can sue for malpractice. You and your legal team will just need to prove that the healthcare provider did not act in a reasonable manner, which led to your resulting injuries or illness.
If, however, no injuries or damages were sustained, you will not be able to recover compensation.
Will My Reading Medical Malpractice Suit Go to Trial?
Less than 10 percent of all malpractice claims go to trial and are instead settled out of court. However, that does not mean your claim won’t go to trial, so you need to be mindful of selecting a medical malpractice lawyer who has experience with taking malpractice claims to trial if need be.
Is There a Cap on Financial Awards I Can Recover in PA?
In Pennsylvania, there are no caps on compensatory damages a malpractice victim may recover. This allows the victim to recover the most compensation needed to recover.
How Do Reading Medical Malpractice Attorneys Prove Negligence?
As with any personal injury claim, in order to prove negligence in a medical malpractice claim, a medical malpractice law firm will need to illustrate the following elements existed in your doctor-patient relationship:
- There was a professional duty owed to the patient, and the healthcare employee was to avoid harm or behavior that could impact the patient.
- There was a breach of the duty of care, and the healthcare provider ignored that duty and acted negligently.
- The breach caused an injury to the patient.
- The injury resulted in damages such as additional injuries or illnesses, extensive medical bills, disability, and lost wages.
Get in Touch with Munley Law’s Reading Medical Malpractice Lawyers
Medical negligence is serious, and if you’ve been a victim of it, you deserve justice. Contact our firm or visit us online to secure a free consultation with Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys’ medical malpractice lawyers.
There is no fee unless we win your case.
Marion Munley
Marion Munley has been practicing personal injury law for nearly 40 years. She is triple board-certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy for Truck Accident Law, Civil Trial Law, and Civil Practice Advocacy. She currently serves as Vice President of the American Association for Justice, an organization dedicated to safeguarding victims’ rights. Marion has won many multimillion-dollar recoveries for her clients, including one of the largest trucking accident settlements in history. She has been named a Top 10 Super Lawyer in Pennsylvania since 2023, a Best Lawyer in America, and was recently inducted to the Lawdragon Hall of Fame.
