Louisiana Medical Malpractice Lawyer
When you visit a health care provider, you are hoping to have your overall health condition improved, or at the very least, you are not expecting to have your health worsen due to the doctor’s or healthcare worker’s negligence. Unfortunately, medical malpractice situations happen all too frequently across the country, and within the state of Louisiana.
If you or your loved one have experienced medical malpractice at the hands of a negligent physician, nurse, pharmacist or other healthcare or hospital employee, an experienced Louisiana medical malpractice lawyer can help. Work with a compassionate personal injury attorney that can attempt to achieve the best possible outcome for you.
Medical Malpractice Claims Process
Medical malpractice victims are generally required to first submit their complaints to a medical review panel. The requests for review are filed with the Louisiana Commissioner of Administration.
The state also maintains the Louisiana Patient’s Compensation Fund, which exists to help compensate medical malpractice victims for their losses. An experienced Louisiana medical malpractice attorney can help victims navigate the state’s unique medical malpractice system.
Medical Malpractice Damages and Damage Caps
Across the country, it is becoming more popular for states to place caps or limits on damages medical malpractice victims can receive. Louisiana is one such state to place limits on the amount of damages a victim may be awarded, though there are no limits to the amount of monetary losses a victim can seek to recover for medical expenses caused by the malpractice
These so-called actual damages available to victims in Louisiana medical malpractice cases typically consist of medical bills accrued since the act of malpractice lost wages, medication, physical therapy costs, pain and suffering, mental pain and anguish, disability, impairment of enjoyment of living, future medical expenses and certain wrongful death benefits.
In medical malpractice cases, courts and medical review panels will consider whether the doctor or healthcare provider acted in accordance with the established standard of care for that particular medical specialty. What matters when alleging medical malpractice is whether the doctor made a mistake that was especially unreasonable, and that a similarly situated doctor would not likely have made.
Common Types of Medical Malpractice
There are numerous kinds of medical malpractice cases, and almost any injury a patient suffers due to the negligence of their doctor or nurse could result in a medical malpractice claim, if the healthcare worker did not follow the adequate standard of care established.
Some examples of medical malpractice claims in Louisiana include, but are not limited to:
- Surgical errors
- Failure to diagnose a medical condition in a timely manner
- Failure to treat a medical condition adequately
- Dangerous drug interactions
- Operating on the wrong body part
- Leaving surgical instruments within a patient’s body following surgery
- Using contaminated instruments and spreading diseases, like HIV or hepatitis
- Dental malpractice cases
- Anesthesia errors
- Recordkeeping mistakes
- Physicians operating under the influence of drugs or alcohol
- Unreasonable sleep deprivation on the part of the medical practitioner
- Failure to conduct adequate background checks on medical staff
- Sexual assault of patients
- Prescription mistakes
Consulting a Louisiana Medical Malpractice Attorney
No matter what type of medical malpractice injuries you may have suffered at the hands of an irresponsible or negligent doctor or health care employee, your Louisiana medical malpractice lawyer can help you pursue the compensation to which you are entitled. Consult a qualified personal injury attorney that could work tirelessly to build your personal injury claim.