We naturally trust our doctors and other healthcare providers like nurses and pharmacists to act in our best interest. And in most cases, they do. But healthcare providers are human and as such, they can make mistakes. This kind of mistake can result in worsened medical conditions, new injuries and conditions, and even death. A healthcare provider’s preventable mistake is known as an act of medical malpractice.

If you are injured or suffer a worsened condition because of an act of medical malpractice, you may pursue monetary compensation for your related damages through a medical malpractice claim. Our experienced Baltimore medical malpractice lawyer is here to help you with your case. Contact us today!

Understanding the Key Elements of Medical Malpractice Claims

Not all instances of human error on the part of medical professionals qualify as acts of medical malpractice. Whether an action is determined to be an act of malpractice or not depends on whether another healthcare provider in the same position would have reasonably made the same choice. For example, a doctor administering a recalled medication could be deemed negligent because another doctor, knowing of the recall, would not have administered it.

Two other important concepts to understand are the concept of informed consent and the standard of care for each procedure. In most circumstances, a healthcare provider cannot perform medical treatment without the patient’s explicit, informed consent. Providing treatment without this consent, including providing a treatment other than the one to which the patient consented, is an act of medical malpractice. Similarly, deviating from the standard of care for a specific condition or procedure – the accepted, standard course of action for that condition or procedure – could be deemed an act of malpractice if it results in the patient’s worsened condition, illness, injury, or death.

Examples of Medical Malpractice Claims

Medical malpractice comes in many forms. A few examples of medical malpractice cases include:

• Injuries from surgical objects left inside patients;
• Infections from non-sterile surgical equipment and surroundings;
• Failure to diagnose a patient’s condition;
• Diagnosing the patient’s condition incorrectly;
• Giving the patient an improper dose of medication;
• Giving the patient the wrong medication; and
• Failing to order tests to conclusively diagnose the patient’s condition.

Pursuing Monetary Compensation for your Medical Malpractice Damages

Like other types of personal injury claim, you must prove that your injury occurred because of a healthcare provider’s negligence in order to recover compensation for your medical malpractice damages. Your lawyer can help you gather and use evidence to support your claim, such as:

• Documentation of the corrective treatment you received;
• Dated photographs of your injury;
• Documentation of the wages you could not earn while incapacitated by your new condition; and
• Documentation of your emotional distress from the malpractice.

Baltimore Medical Malpractice Lawyers Ready to Help you Pursue the Compensation you Deserve

An experienced personal injury lawyer can help you file and pursue your medical malpractice claim to seek the compensation you deserve to cover your damages. To learn more about your rights, your options, and how you can get started on your claim, call the Law Office of Hasson D. Barnes, LLC today at 433-423-0548 to schedule your initial legal consultation with us.