Ponchatoula Medical Malpractice Lawyer
Small errors in the hospital or doctor’s office have the potential to lead to long-term complications for affected patients. An incorrect diagnosis can result in patients suffering through unnecessary and potentially-detrimental treatments. Additionally, errors in the operating room may impact a patient’s overall quality of life.
Medical professionals like doctors and surgeons cannot guarantee results, but patients should expect to receive reasonable and appropriate care from their healthcare providers. Patients that do not should speak with a Ponchatoula medical malpractice lawyer about the possibility of filing a lawsuit. A skilled personal injury attorney can help an injured party seek the compensation they need to mitigate the effects of any additional harm a medical professional caused.
Recovering Compensation in Medical Malpractice Cases
A claimant in a medical malpractice case may recover compensation for lost wages, pain and suffering, and the trauma associated with their total losses. It is important to understand that state law may restrict the total compensation that an injured patient may receive through a medical malpractice suit. Louisiana Revised Statutes § 40:1231.2 establishes that the total amount of damages that a plaintiff may receive through these cases may not exceed $500,000.
However, this amount does not include any compensation awarded for the future medical needs of the claimant. Aside from the costs of future treatment or procedures, patients also may recover compensation for medical care they have already received as a result of a physician’s mistake.
Claimants may need to calculate the value of their claims carefully since any compensation they may request and receive needs to provide for both current and future expenses. A knowledgeable Ponchatoula attorney can work with an individual before their medical malpractice claims are filed to ensure that they receive full compensation.
When are Medical Professionals Liable?
Medical professionals are not legally responsible for damages just because a patient did not receive the outcome they expected from a course of treatment. However, doctors and nurses who act negligently and fail to uphold their standard of care could be liable to pay for damages the patient incurred and may experience in the future.
Doctors and surgeons are negligent when their actions do not follow the same set of standards that another medical professional would apply in the same set of circumstances. Some examples of medical negligence may include:
- Misreading a chart or scan and misdiagnosing a patient
- Operating on the incorrect body part
- Failing to consider a patient’s history when ordering a course of treatment
- Prescribing a dangerous drug or medication that interacts negatively with a patient’s other prescription regimen
- Unintended retention of a foreign object in a patient after surgery or other procedure;
- Any incident in which a line designated for oxygen or other gas to be delivered to a patient contains the wrong gas or is contaminated by toxic substances;
- Stage 3 or 4 pressure ulcers acquired after admission to a healthcare facility;
- Maternal death or serious disability associated with labor or delivery in a low-risk pregnancy while being cared for in a healthcare
In addition to proving that a claimant received negligent or substandard care from their provider, an attorney also must show that the treatment a patient received was the cause of their losses. If the plaintiff would have suffered the same harm regardless of what their doctor did or failed to do, then the claimant may be unable to recover any compensation. A Ponchatoula lawyer can assess a medical malpractice case to determine if a doctor or other healthcare provider may be liable.
Contact a Ponchatoula Medical Malpractice Attorney
Cases involving medical errors can be complicated to investigate and prosecute successfully. Having the help of a qualified Ponchatoula medical malpractice lawyer can make the legal recovery process more simple and less intimidating. Reach out to an attorney to discuss your case and whether you may be eligible for compensation.