Medical Negligence Lawyer Philadelphia – Injuries or illnesses can be stressful for patients and their families. When you seek medical help from a doctor or other health care professional, you probably expect to receive quality treatment for your condition. Doctors are expected to provide care that meets certain medical standards. Unfortunately, things can go wrong and leave you seriously injured or ill.
Pennsylvania law allows patients and their families to seek compensation when they have suffered injuries and losses as a result of medical acts or omissions by health care providers. If you believe your injuries were caused by your healthcare provider’s mistakes during treatment, you may have grounds to file a medical malpractice lawsuit to obtain compensation and ensure liability.
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Medical Negligence Lawyer Philadelphia
Although you are not required to hire an attorney to file a medical malpractice claim in Pennsylvania, it is not a good idea to attempt to pursue your claim on your own. Medical malpractice cases are extremely complex and require you to understand complex legal and medical concepts. The state also requires you to meet certain requirements before suing, including finding a qualified medical professional to review your case.
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Working with a malpractice attorney can help you meet all the procedural requirements and determine whether you have a viable claim. Even if your attorney tells you that you don’t have a viable case, speaking with an attorney can help you save time and money that you might otherwise waste pursuing an unsuccessful claim.
When searching for an attorney, you may feel overwhelmed by the number of Philadelphia medical malpractice attorneys and unsure how to determine the right attorney for you. This guide provides information on how to find a competent malpractice attorney you can trust to represent you strongly.
Medical malpractice attorneys in Philadelphia are attorneys who focus on cases involving people who have been injured by medical malpractice during treatment. Medical malpractice is a subset of personal injury or tort law that requires a thorough knowledge of legal and medical terms and terminology. Due to the complexity, resources required, and length of medical malpractice cases, many personal injury attorneys do not take medical malpractice cases. When looking for an attorney, you’ll want to check out the attorneys you think represent people in medical malpractice cases before scheduling a consultation.
Before filing a lawsuit, you should know what is considered medical malpractice. You will not necessarily have a viable claim based on your dissatisfaction with the recent medical care you received. Instead, medical malpractice cases involve specific legal elements that you and your attorney will need to prove before you can receive compensation.
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Doctors and other healthcare professionals are expected to meet specific standards of care when providing treatment to patients. Malpractice occurs when a provider injures a patient while treating them due to medical errors, when the treatment deviates from the applicable standard of care.
Injuries can be caused by a doctor doing something wrong or failing to do something a reasonable doctor would have done in the same scenario. For example, a doctor who accidentally amputated the wrong limb could be an example of medical malpractice. Similarly, a doctor who did not send a patient to the emergency room when the patient had severe chest pain and a history of high blood pressure would also qualify. Conversely, a doctor who negligently prescribed the wrong medication would not qualify if you noticed the mistake and returned the medication to the pharmacy without taking it.
Some scenarios fall into gray areas and are not as clear cut as the examples above. If you have been injured or have suffered a significant deterioration after treatment, you should consult with a malpractice attorney to determine the merits of your potential case. An attorney can review your medical records and give you an honest assessment of whether you should proceed with the claim process or whether your claim is not feasible. This can help you understand whether what happened to you could be considered medical malpractice.
Before you schedule your consultation, consider the following elements of malpractice to help you determine whether you may have a viable case:
What Types Of Medical Errors Cause Medical Malpractice?
There are several ways a malpractice attorney can help you if you have been injured by a negligent healthcare provider. Medical malpractice laws are complex and you will also have to contend with complex medical terms that you may not understand. A medical malpractice attorney must have a law degree and be licensed to practice law in Pennsylvania. They should also be well informed about medical malpractice cases and the procedures that must be followed to ensure the most favorable outcome.
A competent malpractice attorney can communicate with the insurance company on your behalf in a way that aims to facilitate a good recovery. When you are injured, you should be able to focus on getting better instead of dealing with malpractice insurance workers. Once you are represented, all communication about your case will go through your lawyer, so you don’t have to worry about that.
An attorney should understand Pennsylvania’s pre-lawsuit requirements and find an appropriate medical professional to review your medical records. This can let you know if you have a viable claim before you even apply.
When representing you, your lawyer can guide you through the legal process and keep you informed of everything that is happening. Medical malpractice attorneys understand the procedural and legal rules that govern all aspects of the claims process and can help prevent errors.
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A lawyer can help you understand the value of your potential case and assess the strength of your evidence. If an attorney accepts representation in your case, he or she should zealously represent your interests and work to recover the maximum amount you deserve.
When looking for a Philadelphia medical malpractice attorney, read online reviews and find out what other people have experienced working with the attorney. Check out their website and assess whether they provide useful information and have a professional attitude. Even if some reviews are incorrect, you can look for recurring themes, praise or complaints. If you see that many past clients have complained about a lawyer’s lack of communication, that should be a warning to you.
There are several peer-reviewed platforms that attorneys can check, including Martindale-Hubbell and Avvo.com. Search these pages for the law firm and attorney you are considering to see how their colleagues and former clients feel about them.
You should also look for attorney licensing information on the website of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission. The search tool allows you to confirm that their license is active and see if they have received disciplinary action.
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While your attorney’s fees should be considered, a few caveats are important to note. First, good medical malpractice law firms like Raynes & Lawn work on contingency fees. This means that you will not have to pay anything up front to retain an attorney or pay any legal fees until and unless your attorney obtains compensation for you through a settlement or judgment in your favor.
Another factor to consider regarding attorney fees is the percentage charged by the attorney. In the case of a contingency fee agreement, your attorney will be paid an agreed percentage of what you recover if you settle or win the lawsuit. When your lawyer receives the money for you, they will deduct a percentage of the total amount. This might lead you to think that you should go with the attorney who charges the lowest percentage. However, you should not bargain for a quality lawyer. In some cases, lawyers offering low percentages do not have the necessary experience to ensure the highest return.
A third financial factor to consider is how the law firm handles other legal expenses. Some firms do not have the resources to cover the associated costs during a pending case, including witness fees, depositions, filing fees, etc. instead the firm covers them for you and instead takes payment from any refund you end up getting.
It should go without saying that you should seek out a malpractice attorney. Although all attorneys must obtain a juris doctor degree and be admitted to the bar to practice law, you want to be sure that the attorney you hire practices in the medical malpractice field. A divorce attorney will not be equipped to handle a medical malpractice case, just as a medical malpractice attorney would not be a good choice to handle your divorce.
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You also want to make sure that the attorney and firm you choose has significant experience. Ask the potential attorney how long they have been licensed. Then ask them how many years they have been working in the medical malpractice field. Look at the law firm’s history to see how long it has been representing people in medical malpractice cases. Ask any lawyer you have experience with
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