What is Medical Malpractice

If a patient is injured due to medical malpractice, they can file a medical malpractice lawsuit. The most common type of medical malpractice is surgery, but it can happen to any nurse, doctor, medical technician, or medical center. The different types of medical malpractice are almost endless.

Difficulty of Causation

Some laws limit physicians’ standards in the same specific region of the country, but others extend it to physicians nationwide. For example, a heart surgeon will most likely adhere to other surgeons’ quality in the same specific location. If he or she acted differently than many cardiac surgeons in similar states, that surgeon might be considered clinically ineffective. Considering that the body contains interconnected systems, “causation” is a complicated issue in medical practice.

Health care professionals may argue that the treatment did not cause the harm but was caused by a condition that the individual needed. Psychologists and psychiatrists could also be sued for medical malpractice. However, these cases are much more challenging to prove because not only are the injuries, not physical, but causation is quite complicated.

In any case, attorneys hired by the medical malpractice insurance company will likely argue that the injury was not due to medical negligence. As a result, those who suffer an injury will be advised to hire an attorney to help cover compensation to recover their expenses. Attorneys in this situation work on a “contingency” basis, which means they do not have to be paid by the client. Their fees depend on whether or not they receive compensation from the medical malpractice insurance company. If the lawyer can get a settlement for the client, they receive a percentage of the money as a fee. If the lawyer is unsuccessful, they do not earn any money for their work.

Trial Due to Medical Negligence

A jury or judge decides if the person is entitled to the funds and how much. These are called “pretrial discovery” documents. Statements are also usually taken by the parties. These are statements that allow opposing attorneys to ask questions.

It is not uncommon for an agreement to be reached in the courtroom during the jury selection process. This is a technique that pushes both sides against the wall and tries to force them to concede. No one wants a case to go to trial if it can be avoided because the court costs are significantly higher than if the case is settled out of court.