Virginia Medical Malpractice Lawyer
If your experience with a healthcare provider in Virginia produced more harm than healing, you may have a medical malpractice case on your hands. Medical malpractice is the legal term for when a medical provider fails to give appropriate care to a patient. There are many different types of medical malpractice, and common grounds for a claim include misdiagnosis, prescription drug error, and surgical mistakes. Medical malpractice lawyer Virginia will help you to claim your compensation.
If you can prove medical malpractice, you can gain compensation to reimburse you for your suffering and alleviate the burden of medical debt. However, medical malpractice cases are complex, and in the state of Virginia, you don’t have much time to take legal action.
A medical malpractice lawyer in Virginia can advise you on whether you have grounds for a claim and help you move forward with seeking compensation — but you need to act quickly.
The Joel Bieber Firm is a leader in achieving compensation for patients harmed through medical negligence in Virginia. Contact The Joel Bieber Firm today to arrange a free consultation with a Virginia medical malpractice lawyer.
How a Medical Malpractice Lawyer in Virginia Can Help
If you hope to gain compensation over medical malpractice, working with an experienced medical malpractice lawyer Virginia is necessary. Medical malpractice is one of the most complex fields of personal injury law.
First, you’ll need to consult with a Virginia medical malpractice attorney to confirm that you have grounds for a claim. If you do, your lawyer will need to collect as much documentation as possible about the care you received, including proof of how your healthcare provider behaved negligently.
Once your personal injury attorney has built a case and collected evidence, they’ll need to engage an expert medical witness. This is an important and necessary step in the legal process of proving medical negligence.
Your lawyer will also send notice to your healthcare provider that you are pursuing a medical malpractice claim so they can prepare for legal proceedings. From here, cases resolve in one of two ways — negotiation or litigation.
Your attorney will likely enter into negotiations with the insurance provider of your doctor or medical facility. Negotiation is the preferred route for settling a medical malpractice claim, as court proceedings tend to be more time-consuming and costly.
If your lawyer isn’t able to convince the insurance company to settle on a fair compensation value, it will be necessary to push your case to court for a verdict.
Understanding What Counts as Medical Malpractice Virginia
Medical malpractice is a broad field, and many different types of medical errors can give you grounds for a medical malpractice claim. However, certain types of medical errors occur most frequently in healthcare settings, which is why certain types of medical malpractice claims are most common.
Misdiagnosis
Misdiagnosis is one of the most typical forms of medical malpractice. Misdiagnosis happens when a medical professional fails to correctly identify a certain medical condition. A patient’s health outcome can be seriously impacted by a doctor’s failure to correctly diagnose a medical condition promptly.
Two other common diagnoses-related medical malpractice claims are missed diagnosis and late diagnosis.
Prescription Error
Prescription drug errors are very common in the field of medical malpractice. A prescription error can refer to a huge number of medical errors, including:
- Ordering or filling an incorrect prescription
- Incorrect medication dosage
- Administration of incorrect medication
- Incorrect route of administration
- Failure to consider health history and other medical conditions
- Failure to consider interactions with other medications
- Incorrect or missing instructions for medication use
Since medication errors can occur in many different ways, you’ll need a Virginia medical malpractice lawyer to establish whether an error gives you grounds for legal action.
In any case that involves prescription drug error, you’ll need to prove that the medication mistake directly harmed the health of the patient.
Surgical and Procedural Errors
Surgical or procedural errors are another of the most common types of medical malpractice. Sometimes this type of error is easily proven and there’s no question of having grounds for legal action. Two common examples are performing the wrong type of operation and operating on an incorrect body part.
Other surgical errors are more complex. A surgery that fails to achieve the expected result often doesn’t constitute medical malpractice, but this can depend on the nature of the procedure and the outcomes you were told you could expect.
There more medical malpractice such as birth injury and failure to diagnose that happens negligence of standard of care.
Proving Virginia Medical Malpractice
Once a medical malpractice lawyer Virginia confirms that you have a valid claim, they’ll need to engage an expert medical witness to testify on your behalf.
An expert medical witness is a qualified medical provider who can review your case materials and medical records. They must give a statement under oath confirming that the treatment you received doesn’t meet the established professional standards for medical care.
Medical records and expert witness testimony are the two most essential items you need for proving medical malpractice. Beyond that, proceedings will depend on how complex or straightforward your case is and the willingness of your healthcare provider’s insurance company to settle.
Don’t Wait to Act over Virginia Medical Malpractice
Every state sets legal time limits for pursuing compensation in a personal injury case. In the state of Virginia, that time limit is two years from the date of the incident. While this might sound like a long time, it isn’t.
A medical malpractice lawyer needs to assess your case, collect evidence, acquire expert witness testimony, and attempt settlement negotiations before filing a lawsuit. This final step is what carries the two-year time limit. Failing to contact a lawyer promptly puts you at risk of losing out on the compensation you deserve.
Call a Medical Malpractice Lawyer in Virginia Today
If you or your family member are injured, Joel Bieber Firm is a winning personal injury firm. Our Virginia medical malpractice lawyers have a strong track record of recovering significant compensation for clients injured through negligent medical care.
If you’re wondering whether you have grounds for a medical malpractice case, don’t wait. Call The Joel Bieber Firm today to schedule a free consultation with a medical malpractice lawyer in Virginia to learn whether you’re owed compensation for medical malpractice.