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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Expert Witnesses in Medical Malpractice Cases
What Does an Expert Witness Do in a Medical Malpractice Case?
While each medical injury is different, all medical malpractice lawsuits require expert witnesses. Experienced medical malpractice lawyers, like our award-winning team at Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys, know when and how to use a good expert witness. If you are planning on filing a claim in a Pennsylvania court, then make sure you understand these points about experts.
Why Do I Need an Expert Witness in My Medical Malpractice Claim?
There are several reasons why medical malpractice plaintiffs need expert witnesses.
The Certificate of Merit
First, in Pennsylvania, all med mal plaintiffs must file a “Certificate of Merit.” The purpose of this document is to protect doctors and other medical practitioners from frivolous lawsuits. […]
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Bethlehem Medical Malpractice Lawyer
If you need a Bethlehem medical malpractice lawyer to win justice for you, you need Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys
Get justice, get results, and get maximum compensation for your injuries/illness caused by medical error in the Lehigh Valley
According to the Medical Malpractice Center (MMC), medical errors are the third leading cause of death in the United States. Unfortunately, preventable mistakes cause the deaths of 195,000 patients every year. Likewise, the MMC reports that 100,000 people die each year because of doctors’ failures to properly diagnose their illnesses. In fact, from 1986 until 2010, hospitals, healthcare companies, and doctors paid $38.8 billion to medical malpractice victims. If your doctor, nurse, or healthcare professional messed up your medical care, take action. Above all, you deserve justice and a Bethlehem medical malpractice lawyer who will fight for maximum compensation for your injuries. […]
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Pottsville Medical Malpractice Lawyer
If you or someone you love suffered due to medical negligence in the Pottsville area, contact a Pottsville medical malpractice lawyer at Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys for a free consultation
When someone suffers harm because of medical mistakes or failure to follow a standard of care, the negligent caregiver should be held responsible. As the patient or patient’s family member, you may be eligible for financial compensation for your suffering. The medical malpractice lawyers at Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys can help. For nearly 60 years, our personal injury lawyers have helped people like you who have been harmed by medical errors or negligence.
Medical malpractice cases are often very complex. It is vital that you consult with an experienced medical malpractice attorney in Pottsville to ensure your have the best chance of recovering full and fair compensation for your losses. […]
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Medical Malpractice Frequently Asked Questions
Medical Malpractice Questions and Answers
What is medical malpractice?
Legal definitions vary slightly from state to state, but as a general rule medical malpractice (also known as medical negligence) means that a health care provider caused injury or death to a patient by failing to act within the applicable standard of care. Essentially, a physician or other health care provider commits medical malpractice and is negligent when he or she fails to act in a reasonable way under the circumstances and the unreasonable conduct causes harm.
How can I find out if I have a case?
Because medical malpractice law is very complex, the best way to know is by talking to an experienced medical malpractice lawyer. Be sure to tell the lawyer exactly what happened to you, from the first time you visited your doctor through your last contact. […]
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Colorado Medical Malpractice Suit Against Nurses Settled
Undocumented immigrant receives $700,000 in medical malpractice suit settlement
The Colorado Springs, city-owned Memorial Health System settled a lawsuit filed by an undocumented immigrant from Mexico who claimed her baby suffered severe brain injuries during delivery four years ago. The now four-year-old is a spastic quadriplegic who cannot stand, sit or walk, and has the intellectual level of a six-month-old.
The city paid $700,000 to the child because the care provided by the Memorial nurses and the doctor “fell below the standard of care” by failing to properly interpret fetal heart monitoring strips that showed the baby in distress during labor, having the mother hold her breath which further depleted the oxygen going to the baby and delivering the baby vaginally rather than performing a cesarean section.
The lawsuit only covered the negligence by the nurses. The doctor is employed by Peak Vista Community Health Centers which is a Federally Qualified Health Center. […]
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