What is a Standard of Care?
The Standard of Care in a given setting is the level of care that the average person would apply in that setting. Care encompasses the level of diligence and skill that the average person would be able to apply to a given scenario. According to Cornell Law School’s Legal Information Institute, standard of care is an “essential concept” in cases of negligence.
The standard care of an average person revolves around what is known as the reasonable person standard. The average person may have specified knowledge in a certain field that is greater than average. However, the reasonable person standard holds individuals to acting how the average person would given that they have similar knowledge. For example, the average person may not have the medical knowledge of a doctor. But doctors are held to acting in a way that the reasonable person would act if they did have such knowledge. This is important in medical malpractice cases, where appropriate standard of care must be specified before it can be proven if that standard was breached or not.
There are certain circumstances that apply different standards of care. Adults, for example, are held to higher standards of care than children. Any profession is held to a specific standard of care. A doctor that consistently provides incorrect diagnoses may be able to be found liable for damages incurred from those misdiagnoses, simply because the average, reasonable doctor would not do that.
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Can I Sue My Doctor for Medical Malpractice If I Contracted Sepsis?
If you were provided medical care and that care resulted in contracting sepsis, you may be able to sue your doctor for medical malpractice. However, your ability to file a medical malpractice lawsuit for sepsis depends on the specific details of your case. To have a medical malpractice claim, a healthcare professional must have deviated from the expected standard of care, leading to your illness or injury.
The medical malpractice lawyers at Munley Law can help you understand your legal options if you’ve become ill or injured after medical care.
Elements of a Medical Malpractice Case for Sepsis
Understanding the essential elements of a claim is key to successfully pursuing a lawsuit in medical malpractice cases like sepsis. In any personal injury case, the plaintiff must show four elements to prove that the medical professional or facility was responsible for the sepsis: duty of care, […]
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What Are the 5 Most Common Causes of Wrongful Death?
Learn about the five most common causes of wrongful death, including medical malpractice and accidents, and how to protect your rights.
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What Is a Wrongful Death vs Survival Action?
Losing a loved one is always incredibly painful, but losing someone tragically and unexpectedly due to someone else’s negligence can seem impossible to navigate. If your family member was a key financial supporter of your household, your grief is likely being compounded by extreme financial stress. You may be wondering how you can put your family member or spouse to rest, pay off their medical bills, and keep your household afloat, but you may have legal recourse through wrongful death or survival claims. At Munley Law, our wrongful death attorneys can walk you through your options to seek justice for your deceased family member and obtain financial support.
Understanding Wrongful Death Claims
A wrongful death claim is a type of lawsuit that serves to compensate a deceased person’s family members for the loss they have suffered as a result of their loved one’s death, […]
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If I Have a Bad Doctor While I Am in the Hospital, What Should I Do?
Discovering you have a subpar doctor while hospitalized can be frightening and frustrating. While most hospital physicians provide excellent care, some fall short of medical standards. According to recent studies, medical errors are now the third leading cause of death in U.S. hospitals, making it important to advocate for your care. When you’re concerned about the quality of your hospital doctor’s treatment, you need to know your options and rights. Here’s what you can do if you find yourself under the care of a physician who isn’t meeting professional standards of medical care.
Reasons You Might Be Dissatisfied with Your Doctor
You may come to be dissatisfied with your care for a wide range of reasons. While not every issue you have with a medical professional may be worthy of legal action, the following are potential signs of poor care and medical malpractice. […]
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Can Medical Malpractice Cause a Stroke?
Understanding Strokes: Types, Causes, Treatments, and Medical Malpractice
Strokes are critical medical emergencies that require swift and accurate treatment to avoid lasting damage. We will examine various stroke types, their causes, available treatments, and the impact of medical malpractice.
Types of Strokes
Delays in treatment can result in permanent disability or death. Stroke symptoms are not unique and can mimic other health issues, leading to potential misdiagnosis of stroke. Common signs of a stroke include:
- Weakness or numbness, particularly on one side of the body
- Paralysis
- Tingling in the arms or legs
- Sudden loss of leg strength
- Severe headache
- Loss of balance or coordination
- Slurred speech
- Inability to speak or understand speech
- Vision changes, such as blurred or double vision
- Dizziness
- Fainting
- Loss of vision
- Death
Strokes can vary in severity from mild to life-threatening, […]
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