Basic Understanding of a Medical Negligence and Malpractice Lawsuit

Posted by Criminal Defense Lawyer Wednesday, April 28, 2010

anytime a patient is injured or dies because the care provided by the medical professional was below accepted standards, which means the doctor, dentist, therapist, and even medical facility caused problems through an act or omission, the individual or his/her family would have legal right to file a lawsuit. This has become a sedate and serious problem, as the number of healthcare professionals increase and with new surgeries, procedures, and prescription medications being offered to patients but without the professional having the proper license in place.

if you have been involved with a situation of medical negligence or malpractice or a family member passed away because of this situation, the first thing you need to do is find a qualified and reputable attorney. This means if the case involved a dentist, you would need a dental malpractice attorney or if the case involved a doctor, then an attorney that handles cases involving doctors would be required. Remember, all medical; professionals are required by law to maintain malpractice insurance although the amount of protection varies.

depending on the causes and circumstances and the amount of damages being sought, medical malpractice insurance companies may try to settle out of court. In this case, your attorney and the attorney for the medical professional would convene and if an agreement could be reached, the case would be settled and closed. However, if all parties involved with the medical negligence and malpractice case could not agree on a settlement, a date would be set for trial at which time all evidence would be heard and a final ambition and determination made.

as the patient or member of the decease patient involved with a medical negligence and malpractice case, you would be the “plaintiff” and the professional or facility being sued would be the “defendant”. If your injury were significant enough that you could not represent yourself, then a legally designated party would be appointed to work on your behalf. If the case involved the death of a family member, typically the administrator or executor of that person’s estate would spearhead the lawsuit.

for the defendant in a medical negligence and malpractice lawsuit, this could be any professional in the medical field to include a doctor, dentist, therapist, and even a nurse. Then, depending on the dates and details involved, the actual medical facility might be named in the suit. As an example, if a hospital knowingly allowed a medical professional to provide care to patients without the proper license or environment and training and something happened, the owners or executives of the facility would be liable.

at this point, attorneys for both parties, and often the dental or medical malpractice insurance company would review the dates and details of the lawsuit and if all four required elements were met, the case would be heard in a court of law. For this, the medical negligence and malpractice claim would need to be filed in the fitting and appropriate jurisdiction, something your attorney would handle. A date would be set for the case to be heard, which could be anywhere from several months to years.

during the time of filing and the court date, complex and various things would happen. For instance, depositions would be required, information gathered, parties interrogated, documents reviewed, and so on. If you ever find yourself in a position such as this or if you are currently in need of a good medical negligence and malpractice attorney, you want to choose someone with years of experience but also an attorney who specializes in the area of damage. As an example, if the issuer pertained to a dentist, then you would need a dental malpractice attorney.

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