Scranton Medical Malpractice Lawyer | Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys

Personal Injury Lawyers / Scranton Personal Injury Lawyer / Scranton Medical Malpractice Lawyer

Being sick or injured can make you feel vulnerable, so we call upon medical professionals to care for us in our time of need. But when medical negligence occurs, you may not know who to turn to. This is where a Scranton medical malpractice lawyer from Munley Law comes in.

For over 60 years, we have represented victims in their medical malpractice claims. We hold negligent medical professionals accountable and get you the compensation you need to recover from your injuries.

If you or a loved one were a victim of medical malpractice, call the Scranton medical malpractice attorneys of Munley Law.

How Can a Scranton Medical Malpractice Attorney Help My Case?

Studies suggest that one in three medical providers will be sued for medical malpractice at some point in their careers. We often think that these cases involve very rare, complex scenarios, but the reality is that they can be as simple as incorrect prescription dosage or a bad diagnosis.

While this may seem unsettling for medical professionals, as a patient, it's even more concerning knowing that these avoidable mistakes happen with an alarming frequency. If you find yourself a victim of inadequate medical care, a Scranton medical malpractice attorney from Munley Law can help.

Our experienced attorneys understand the complexities of healthcare provider negligence and the emotional and financial strain it can have on a family. During an initial consultation, we will review your claim to determine what went wrong and come up with a plan.

If you choose us to represent you, will will then begin the investigation phase. Here, we will gather evidence, including meeting with medical experts who can pinpoint where the standard of care was not followed.

We will also calculate the value of your claim to ensure we seek the compensation you need. Our Munley Law medical malpractice lawyers are skilled negotiators and litigators, so we'll handle the discussions with the insurance companies to reach a settlement. And, if we come to a stalemate, we'll pursue legal action against the negligent medical professionals.

Most medical malpractice claims are settled out of court, but if we have to, we'll stand by your side during the trial to ensure your rights are protected.

The legal process can be complicated, and when your health is on the line, the last thing you want to do is handle endless phone calls with the insurance company. Let us take on the negligent healthcare professionals while you focus on the most important thing: your health.

For a no-obligation, free consultation, call the Scranton medical malpractice lawyers of Munley Law.

What Constitutes Medical Malpractice in Scranton, PA?

Medical malpractice occurs when a patient's healthcare team member deviates from the accepted standard of care, causing the patient to suffer harm. Though often used interchangeably, medical negligence must cause a patient to suffer harm in order to constitute medical malpractice.

Harm, in these cases, can be physical, emotional, or financial.

Common examples of Scranton medical malpractice claims include the following.

Failure to Diagnose, Misdiagnosis, or a Delay in Diagnoses

Diagnostic errors are a common claim for medical malpractice. Failure to diagnose occurs when a doctor or other care provider does not make a diagnosis of a patient's condition.

Misdiagnosis occurs when a doctor does not make the proper diagnosis, resulting in a patient getting the wrong treatment or no treatment at all.

Lastly, a delay in diagnosis occurs when a physician does diagnose the patient, but the delay may cause treatment to be less effective or not work at all.

Errors in diagnosis often occur in cases of infections and heart-related illnesses.

Birth Injuries

The birth of a child should be a joyous occasion. But when a negative action during birth causes your newborn to suffer injury, there must be consequences. Common birth injuries include:

Brain injuries
Brain damage resulting in cerebral palsy
Cephalohematoma
Spinal cord injuries
Nerve damage
Paralysis
Broken bones

While some complications may result from birth defects that could not have been avoided, if the direct actions or inactions of a medical provider caused your child to suffer a long-term disability, you need to call a birth injury lawyer today.

Surgical Errors

If an error during surgery caused you to suffer injuries, you may have a medical malpractice case. Medical negligence that results in surgical injuries includes:

Anesthesia errors
Operating on the wrong body part
Leaving something inside the patient like a sponge, medical instrument, or device
Post-op infection
Lack of monitoring either during the surgery or after

Surgical mistakes can cost you more than extensive medical bills; they can cause patients to lose their lives.

Hospital Negligence

Being admitted to the hospital or having to visit the emergency room can be stressful. But mistakes are likely to occur when doctors, nurses, and surgeons rush around to move patients in and out. Hospital negligence occurs when your medical treatment in a hospital settlement falls below the standard of care, resulting in harm.

Typically, compensation for a hospital negligence case is in the hands of the hospital or care facility named in the complaint. Unfortunately, these cases can be complicated as there are so many members of a care team that it can be a challenge to determine who made the wrong call. With this, the hospital's insurance company will try to negate as much blame as possible so they aren't stuck paying your medical expenses.

But the Munley Law Firm won't stand for it. If you suffered an injury at one of the following hospitals or anywhere in Pennsylvania, we could help:

Moses Taylor Hospital
Regional Hospital of Scranton
Geisinger Community Medical Center
Scranton State General Hospital
St. Joseph's Center
Allied Health Care
Lehigh Valley Hospital

Medication Errors

It's an unfortunate reality that medication errors are a common occurrence. Be it a patient getting the wrong medication or the wrong dosage, these mistakes can easily be avoided.

Common medication errors include:

Wrong drug
Wrong dosage
Mislabeled medications
Failure to warn of side effects
Failure to review medical records to learn of drug interactions
Failure to monitor
Mixing drug incorrectly

If a medication error caused you or a loved one harm, a personal injury lawyer can help.

Anesthesia Errors

While medication errors can happen at the hands of a few different medical professionals, anesthesiologists are at the forefront of claims when anesthesia mistakes occur.

Common anesthesia mistakes include:

Anesthesia procedure mistakes in dosing
Improper intubation
Drug interactions
Inadequate monitoring
Allergic reactions
Prolonged sedation
Not enough sedation

Anesthesia errors can result in serious injury and even death.

Nursing Home Neglect

When we place our elderly and/or disabled loved ones in a nursing home facility, we hope that they receive the best care while also preserving their dignity. Unfortunately, nursing home neglect is a common occurrence in Pennsylvania, leading to injury, mental anguish, and even death.

Nursing home abuse that constitutes medical malpractice includes:

Abandonment
Medical neglect (medication errors, infections, etc.)
Lack of hygiene
Malnutrition and dehydration
Emotional abuse

There are a number of abusive parties who may be in a nursing home facility. Nurses, doctors, therapists, and even other patients can cause harm to a resident, resulting in a negligence claim.

Compensation For Medical Malpractice in Scranton, PA

Injury victims are entitled to two forms of compensation for Scranton medical malpractice: economic and non-economic damages.

Economic damages are those tangible financial losses that result from the harm. Economic damages include:

Medical bills, including expenses for future medical needs
Lost wages
Loss of income potential
Funeral and burial costs

Non-economic damages are those intangible losses that are more subjective to calculate. They include:

Pain and suffering
Mental anguish
Loss of enjoyment
Loss of consortium
Loss of society
Wrongful death

In some cases, punitive damages may be awarded to punish the medical provider for intentional or gross negligence.

Is There a Cap on Medical Malpractice in PA?

In Pennsylvania, there is no cap on medical malpractice claims, allowing victims to recover the full value of their financial losses.

This also includes non-economic losses such as pain and suffering, and mental anguish.

While there is no standard award for medical malpractice cases, victims can recover hundreds of thousands of dollars in compensation for their injuries and related losses. With legal representation from Munley Law, you are more likely to secure maximum compensation for your case.

Munley Law has secured multimillion-dollar settlements and verdicts

How Can You Prove Medical Malpractice in Scranton?

In order to prove your medical malpractice injuries, you must establish that a doctor-patient relationship existed. Once you have proven this with medical records, treatment documentation, etc., you and your personal injury attorneys can establish negligence.

To prove negligence, you must show that:

Medical personnel owed you a duty of care.
There was a breach in the reasonable standard of care.
The breach caused injuries.
The injuries resulted in damages.

While this may seem like a simple enough process, the reality is that there can be arguments that the standards of care were followed, but unexpected complications arose. This is where you need a team with legal experience to guide you through a personal injury claim.

We know medical mistakes happen at no one's fault, but something has to be done when substandard care and preventable errors occur.

With decades of experience, Munley Law helps medical negligence victims secure fair compensation for their injuries. This can be a difficult time for you and your family, which is why we take on the negligent health care professionals on your behalf.

Is There a Difference Between Medical Malpractice and a Medical Error?

A medical error can constitute medical malpractice, but that is not always the case. A medical error is not malpractice unless the medical provider has not acted within the reasonable standard of care we have come to expect.

For example, a doctor may prescribe a patient medication for their illness. As a result, the patient suffers unexpected complications. This may seem like a malpractice case, but the medication the doctor prescribed is actually commonly used for that illness. So, in this instance, the doctor was acting within the standard of care, and no malpractice occurred.

Medical errors can be catastrophic and even fatal, but that does not mean the doctor has acted negligently. A Scranton medical malpractice law firm can help you during this difficult process to determine if the medical error was a result of negligence.

What Are the Signs of Medical Malpractice?

Determining if medical malpractice has occurred can be a challenge. Unfortunately, one of the clearest signs a doctor or medical provider was negligent is when there is an unexpected loss of life or additional harm done to a patient aftercare.

But there are other indicators that medical negligence is occuring. Signs you have a medical malpractice claim include:

Your treatment didn't work. If you have undergone all of the treatment your doctor has prescribed and it doesn't work, it may be a sign that your doctor misdiagnosed you or has given you the wrong medication.

Too aggressive or inadequate treatment. Some conditions call for aggressive treatment, but you may have a claim if you seem to be undergoing unnecessary medical procedures. On the other side, if your treatment does not seem to match the severity of your condition, your doctor may not be doing enough in your care.

Your doctor hasn't ordered the necessary tests. While basic labs can tell us a lot, sometimes additional testing is needed to diagnose a patient. If your doctor fails to order the correct tests and your condition worsens, you may have a malpractice claim.

You got a second and third opinion, and your first doctor was wrong. Patients often get second opinions when a treatment is very serious. But when you get a second and then a third opinion, and both say the initial diagnosis was wrong, this can be a sign of misdiagnosis.

There was a surgical error. Surgeons are highly trained, but even they make mistakes. But if a foreign object is left inside a patient, or the surgical site becomes infected, or you suffer a diminished quality of life because of the choices made in the operating room, you may have a claim.

There was no follow-up care. You likely don't need a follow-up with your physician after having a cold. But if you suffered a catastrophic injury or a life-changing diagnosis, there should always be follow-up care to determine if the treatment worked or if you are healing. Lack of follow-up care can be a sign of medical negligence.

Lack of informed consent. Medical professionals are supposed to tell you all the risks, side effects, and potential complications from a medication or medical procedure so you can decide if the end result is worth the risks. If a doctor fails to do so and complications arise, you may have a medical malpractice suit, especially if you never would have agreed to treatment had you known.

Feeling uneasy with your medical team. You shouldn't be afraid to meet with your doctor. But if appointments make you feel uneasy and unheard, this can be a sign that your doctor is not providing you the care you need.

Knowing what is medical malpractice can be a challenge. But Munley Law can help.

What Should I Do If I Suspect Medical Malpractice?

If you suspect you are a victim of medical malpractice, you need to find yourself new medical care. Once you feel safe in your care, you should get copies of all medical records before the provider team has a chance to alter any documents.

Then, call the experienced medical malpractice attorneys of Munley Law.

How Long Do I Have to File a Medical Malpractice Lawsuit?

In Pennsylvania, the statute of limitations for filing medical malpractice claims is two years from the suspected malpractice. However, there are exceptions for cases involving minors or if the harm was not discovered immediately.

An experienced personal injury law firm can guide you through the filing deadlines to ensure you get just compensation.

If you or a loved one was a victim of medical negligence, the experienced Scranton medical malpractice lawyers of Munley Law are here to help. Call today for a no-obligation, free consultation.

Personal Injury Claims We Handle in Scranton, PA:

Do I Have A Case?

If you think you may have a personal injury case, contact us now for a FREE consultation.

Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys

227 Penn Ave.
Scranton, PA 18503
(570)865-4699