“Medical malpractice” occurs when a medical provider delivers care that falls below the acceptable standard of care that other providers would have given under similar circumstances. While healthcare providers can make a wide variety of medical errors to form the basis of a medical malpractice case, there are a few common ones. Please know that if you or a loved one was injured due to a provider’s malpractice, you can pursue compensation for your injuries.
What are the Most Common Errors in Malpractice Cases?
There are three medical errors that often give rise to a medical malpractice lawsuit. These are:
- Failure to diagnose: Sometimes providers fail to properly diagnose a medical condition, or they make a misdiagnosis. If either of these events leads to a delay in your treatment, or in the deterioration of your condition, then you might have the basis for a malpractice claim.
- Failure to warn: Doctors usually have a duty to warn you of known risks before performing certain medical procedures or forms of treatment. You can likely file a malpractice action if a physician failed to adequately warn you and you would not have consented to a procedure had you been sufficiently warned.
- Improper treatment: This is when a doctor or other provider renders care in a way that no other competent medical professional would. Improper treatment also includes the instance when a professional provides the right treatment but does so in the wrong way.
As to the latter, a common example is when a healthcare provider prescribes the right medication for a medical condition but writes a prescription for a wrong dose.
What Compensation can You Recover in a Medical Malpractice Case?
If you are a victim of a medical error that later forms the basis for a malpractice case, you can recover compensation for your injuries and suffering. People injured by medical malpractice can typically recover compensation for the following:
- Medical bills and medical expenses,
- Home health medical care,
- Physical and occupational therapy,
- Lost wages,
- Lost earning capacity, and
- Non-economic damages such as pain and suffering and loss of enjoyment of life.
Please note that unlike many states, Washington has no limits on the amount of damages that you can recover in a medical malpractice case. The result is that, if you win your case, you can collect whatever amount of money the jury awards you for your losses. This is true unless the judge or a higher court reduces the award.
Contact Otorowski Morrow & Golden, PLLC
Please know that our firm is here to help if you were injured due to a medical provider’s errors or mistakes. Otorowski Morrow & Golden, PLLC provides free consultations to all our potential clients. The attorneys at our law firm also have over 120 years of combined experience representing injured parties in medical malpractice cases. They never back down to insurers and fight for their clients’ interests every step of the way. Do yourself a favor and contact them now for the quality legal representation you deserve.