When receiving medical care from a trained professional, patients expect the highest level of professionalism and attentiveness. Unfortunately, medical professionals sometimes demonstrate medical negligence, which can result in patients experiencing even more health problems in the future. Although receiving compensation after suffering from medical malpractice cannot undo the harm done, it can offer some financial relief and alleviate some worries concerning medical bills and other expenses.
Medical professionals owe their patients a duty of care, but this does not always occur. If you have suffered as a result of medical malpractice in St. Petersburg, you should seek legal representation. At The Law Place, our attorneys have over 75 years of combined experience dealing with medical malpractice claims. One of our medical malpractice lawyers can help you file your medical malpractice claim quickly and efficiently. We understand how devastating receiving negligent medical treatment can be, which is why our attorneys will handle your claim by filing all the necessary paperwork so that you can relax. Rest assured that your case is in good hands.
Our phone lines are always open, so you can get in contact with us whenever it’s best for you. Call us today at (941) 444-4444 for a free consultation with an experienced medical malpractice lawyer and see how much compensation you may be owed.
What Is Medical Malpractice?
Medical malpractice occurs when a medical professional does not meet a certain standard of care expected of them. If a doctor, nurse, or medical professional fails to meet a standard of care, it could result in the patient receiving further injuries, pain, and suffering. Common examples of medical malpractice:
- Misdiagnosing or failure to diagnose a medical condition. This could result in a patient receiving medical treatment or surgery unnecessarily.
- Committing medication errors. This involves prescribing incorrect medication or an incorrect dose.
- Using unsterilized equipment which could lead to infection and other complications.
- Birth injuries affecting the child or the mother during childbirth.
- Causing injuries during surgery. Surgical errors can cause devastating long-term consequences for patients.
- Failing to follow basic medical procedures, including not recording patient history and discharging patients from hospital too early.
- Assessing symptoms incorrectly or not fully considering symptoms expressed by the patient.
- Patients not receiving follow-up appointments.
Nowadays, medical malpractice is much more common than one may think. Statistics provided by Johns Hopkins University state that medical malpractice is the third leading cause of death in the United States. According to the same study, over 250,000 people die in the USA every year due to medical errors. Normally, medical professionals work diligently to ensure the health, safety, and wellbeing of their patients. However, they are human, and errors can be made all too easily.
Patients put their trust in the medical professionals whose duty is to care for and protect them. However, this sometimes does not occur. Contact our law firm to speak to an experienced medical malpractice lawyer who will review your case in order to determine the cause of medical practice and hold those at fault accountable.
Common Injuries Sustained After Medical Malpractice in St. Petersburg
Many injuries can be sustained after receiving improper medical treatment and care. Time and time again, we see common injuries as a result of medical malpractice. An injury sustained at the hands of a medical worker can have physical, mental, and financial consequences on those suffering. Some of these injuries include:
- Infection – The use of unsterilized equipment when performing surgery and general improper cleaning of hospital appliances can lead to patients becoming infected with the disease. This often causes serious illnesses and sometimes even death.
- Allergic reaction – A doctor may prescribe medication that can cause an allergic reaction in their patient. Some medical workers fail to check their patients’ medical history and therefore offer medication and drugs that could cause huge complications for them.
- Drug overdose – If a patient is prescribed too much medicine or given incorrect information relating to dosage, they may have a drug overdose. Drug overdoses are extremely serious as, in the worst cases, they could result in death.
- Incisions in the wrong patient – If a patient is operated on unnecessarily, they may be left with further complications and injuries. Surgeries involve opening up the body and handling vital organs and body parts in order to solve a medical issue. Having surgery unnecessarily can increase the likelihood of surgeons committing surgical errors, and the surgeon may not be able to solve the underlying issue for their patient.
If you have been injured due to medical malpractice, we recommend speaking to our team of personal injury attorneys. Recovery time after suffering from an injury can be very lengthy, and victims often miss out on the joys of everyday life as well as independence. We offer our prospective clients a free case review in order to determine if your medical malpractice case is strong enough. If it is, we won’t stop fighting until you get the compensation that you deserve.
Duty of Care Laws in Florida
When receiving medical treatment from a professional, the patient is owed a duty of care under Florida law. In personal injury cases, it is essential for attorneys to prove that someone is liable for the harm caused in order to receive compensation. Under Florida’s duty of care laws, a lawyer can hold a medical professional liable if your medical malpractice claim is strong enough.
It is important to know that when filing a personal injury claim, it is essential to prove that someone who owed you a duty of care breached it. This can sometimes be difficult, and depending on the circumstances, it could be proven that the medical professional did not, in fact, act negligently. For example, if a patient fails to inform their healthcare provider of any known allergies before taking medication that could potentially cause an allergic reaction, they will not be able to sue them.
Our team of medical malpractice attorneys will prove that the actions carried out by a medical professional resulted in harm towards the patient and that this harm was foreseeable and therefore preventable. Our lawyers have ample experience in demonstrating how some medical workers do not fulfill their duty of care. Contact our law firm today for a free case evaluation by one of our top personal injury attorneys and take the first step to receive the justice that you deserve.
How Can a Personal Injury Lawyer File a Medical Malpractice Lawsuit in St. Petersburg, FL?
Before filing a medical malpractice lawsuit, your attorney must ensure that your claim meets certain criteria in order to be considered medical malpractice. The following list gives an idea of evidence that must be proven in court:
- Doctor/patient relationship -It must be proven that you were under the care of the medical professional(s) who demonstrated negligence which resulted in your injuries. An attorney can do this by examining hospital records and medical bills to use them as proof that a doctor, nurse, or medical worker owed you a duty of care.
- Negligence – A personal injury lawyer must provide evidence of the medical professional acting negligently and neglecting their duty of care. Your attorney will use a medical expert to explain the differences between competent and incompetent medical practice to prove that the person in charge of giving you medical care behaved negligently.
- Negligence resulted in injury or death – Our attorneys must prove that the doctor’s negligence resulted in you receiving injuries. It is important to note that if no injuries were sustained after suffering from medical malpractice, you might be unable to file a medical malpractice claim. By reviewing medical records regarding your case, a lawyer will be able to prove that the injuries sustained were a direct consequence of medical malpractice.
At The Law Place, we believe that our clients should understand the legal regulations and laws surrounding their case while filing their medical malpractice claim. Therefore, we have consistent communication and openness with our clients and explain to them in-depth how the legal proceedings surrounding their casework. By choosing to allow us to represent you, you will be constantly updated on your case as soon as we have any news, and you will never be left in the dark. At The Law Place, our clients are our first and most important priority.
Damages You May Be Able to Claim Through a Medical Malpractice Lawsuit
After suffering from medical malpractice, victims should seek compensation. Not only could victims receive compensation to cover medical expenses, but they can also claim other expenses too. Damages that can be recovered after receiving improper medical care include:
- Medical expenses – Receiving improper medical care can lead to victims sustaining injuries and harm, which will require further medical assistance. Medical bills can be extremely expensive and often prove financially crippling. You may be able to claim cover costs of medical care, including medication, surgery, therapy, and even transportation to and from the hospital.
- Lost wages – You may have been left unable to work due to the injuries sustained after medical malpractice. With the help of a medical malpractice lawyer, you could be able to recover past and future losses of income. At The Law Place, we believe that our clients should not have to financially suffer due to someone else’s negligence.
- Pain and suffering – Physical injuries aren’t the only damages that can be sustained from medical malpractice. Victims often suffer from psychological pain and trauma and find themselves battling disorders, including anxiety and depression. Suffering from an injury can also leave victims unable to partake in activities they once did, leaving them with feelings of frustration and anger. If you have suffered from emotional distress as a result of medical malpractice, you may be able entitled to receive compensation.
- Wrongful death – Injuries caused by medical malpractice can result in devastating consequences not only for the victims but for their families too. Serious injuries can leave victims unable to offer the same love, affection, support, and guidance they once were able to give to their loved ones. Also, the death of a loved one can leave families with costly funeral expenses to worry about.
If you or someone you know has suffered as a direct consequence of medical malpractice, call The Law Place as soon as possible. Doctors and nurses have the responsibility to care for their patients and treat them properly, not to cause more medical issues and injuries. You can achieve justice and receive compensation by claiming damages, so contact our law firm for a free case review and receive invaluable legal advice from a professional medical malpractice lawyer.
Filing a Wrongful Death Lawsuit Due to Medical Malpractice in St. Petersburg
Unfortunately, medical malpractice can ultimately result in the death of the person receiving medical care and treatment. Under Florida Statute 768.16, only immediate family members, including the spouse, parents, and children of the deceased, can file a wrongful death lawsuit. This gives the family the opportunity to receive compensation that can cover funeral expenses as well as lost wages of the decedent. This compensation can also cover any medical bills that the deceased may have incurred before their death.
In the case that the decedent appointed a personal representative in their will or estate plan before their death, then this person can also file a claim. In the case that the decedent had already appointed a legal representative, updates of the case as well as any information regarding legal proceedings will be primarily communicated to this person.
Statute of Limitations in St. Petersburg for Medical Malpractice Lawsuits
In Florida, citizens have a maximum amount of time to file a lawsuit depending on the circumstances of the case. For medical malpractice lawsuits, victims have up to two years from the discovery of the malpractice to file a claim as per Florida Statute 95.11.
If the medical malpractice was not immediately discoverable, the amount of time a person is eligible to file a lawsuit might be extended to up to four years. A claimant intending to file a claim after four years of the incident occurring will be unable to file a lawsuit. For this reason, it is important to act quickly when filing medical malpractice claims so as not to miss the eligibility window.
Laws and regulations involving medical malpractice cases can sometimes be complex and confusing. A St. Petersburg medical malpractice attorney will be able to clearly explain the laws that pertain to your specific medical malpractice case so that you are completely confident in going forward with legal proceedings. Call The Law Place to schedule a free consultation with one of our medical malpractice lawyers today.
What Can a St. Petersburg Medical Malpractice Attorney Do for Me?
At The Law Place, we understand that filing a medical malpractice case can seem daunting. Some victims decide not to pursue compensation for fear of bringing more stress into their lives. For this reason, after reviewing your claim, our St. Petersburg medical malpractice attorneys will take on your case and deal with all the legal documents so that you don’t have to.
Our clients praise our St. Petersburg medical malpractice attorneys for their attention to detail, and we have an impressive track record when it comes to winning even the most challenging of medical malpractice cases. We handle negotiations with the legal representatives of the medical professional who was liable for medical malpractice, which resulted in the injury or death of a loved one. By taking away potential stresses caused by the legal process, we hope to give our clients time to recover from their injuries without worry.
Our medical malpractice lawyers in St. Petersburg will review your case and offer an estimated total of compensation that you could receive. We are proud to work with a team of licensed medical workers, and together we evaluate the failures in the care that you received. With a team of experts well-versed in the world of law and medicine, you have the best chances of getting the compensation that you deserve.
Here at The Law Place, we pride ourselves on our client reviews, success rate, and ability to ease our clients’ worries and concerns regarding the legal process. We care about our clients, and this is reflected by the fact that most of our attorneys are rated with the highest score (10.0) by the AVVO. What’s more, we work on a contingency basis monitored by The State Bar Association. This means that we do not charge our clients for our services if we are unsuccessful in their case. We do this so that you won’t lose any money for seeking compensation after falling victim to wrongdoing by a medical professional. In other words, you won’t lose any money for deciding to let us represent you legally.
Contact The Law Place Today
If you have been injured due to medical negligence, you may be entitled to compensation. After a free consultation with a St. Petersburg medical malpractice attorney at The Law Place, you will feel confident and prepared moving forward with your claim. We assist our clients when filing medical malpractice claims, and we are committed to maintaining honest and open communication throughout legal proceedings.
Your healthcare provider may have failed you, but rest assured that our malpractice lawyers in St. Petersburg will not. Medical professionals who do not act properly or professionally when giving assistance and care must be held accountable for their actions, and their negligence should not be taken lightly.
Filing a medical malpractice claim while recovering from an injury can be difficult, and you shouldn’t have to face it alone, which is why we are here with you every step of the way. Call The Law Place today at (941) 444-4444 to speak with a St. Petersburg medical malpractice attorney and see how much compensation you may be entitled to, no strings attached.
