The majority of health care providers do good work, but mistakes are sometimes made that could adversely affect a person, as well as their friends and family, for the rest of their lives.
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At Pickard Law, P.C., we advocate aggressively for patients who have suffered harm because a medical provider breached their duty of care. Our firm has pursued malpractice claims against a wide variety of care providers, including doctors and nurses, hospitals and clinics, dentists and even therapists. Regardless of the nature of your injuries, we can help you pursue full and fair compensation from the negligent parties responsible for them.
People trust doctors with their health. Whether dealing with the common cold or cancer, health care professionals are among the most well-equipped individuals to treat what ails you. Even the best doctors, though, can err in a way that jeopardizes people’s future well-being and, in some cases, lives.
Medical malpractice occurs when a doctor or another health care professional injures a patient through negligence or omission. This action or lack of action can result in an improper diagnosis, care, medication or management. Here are some real-world examples of medical malpractice:
Each one of these examples can compromise a patient’s health and prolong pain and suffering. Significant cases may even prevent them from returning to work or burden them with future medical bills. The gravity of these cases is why it is essential to hire a medical malpractice lawyer.
The weight of a medical malpractice case hinges on the word “negligence.” While the ramification of negligence can vary by state, the law interprets the term to mean the failure of an individual to behave with a level of care that someone else of ordinary prudence would. Put another way – the negligent doctor did not do what a reasonable doctor practicing in their field would have done.
The case must also be “actionable” for a medical malpractice lawyer to take it to court. It must have specific components that make the lawsuit viable. Those components center around the existence of a duty of care.
A duty of care is a legal obligation a doctor owes to patients. It is an unwritten contract that the patient can expect a reasonable standard of care during treatment. Furthermore, they should not assume undue harm or risk.
Our medical malpractice lawyers will argue there is a breach of that duty of care. A successful argument requires providing the existence of the duty, its breach, and harm or damage that came as a direct result of the negligence.
We may also argue there was a proximate cause. This argument correlates the events of negligence with the patient’s outcomes when there is no immediate throughline. For instance, a patient experiencing weakness may get blood work that shows results consistent with leukemia.
The doctor may scan the blood work and determine that nothing is out of place. Therefore, they do not tell the patient to pursue treatment for leukemia. Several months later, the person develops leukemia. This negligence on behalf of the doctor does not have a direct relationship, though a medical malpractice lawyer could successfully argue it under proximate cause.
You don’t have to let medical malpractice ruin your life. Our team at Pickard Law, P.C., in Littleton, is here to help, regardless of how complex or challenging the case may be. It is our mission to hold parties responsible for their action and fairly compensate injured patients.
Hundreds of millions of Americans put their faith in health care professionals each year. There is an unspoken contract that patients can expect treatment that will improve their overall well-being. When doctors violate this pact, it is grounds for a medical malpractice lawsuit.
Each year, 195,000 deaths in hospitals occur because of preventable medical errors. Equally concerning is the relatively small percentage of people who bring forth their claims to the legal system. Of course, medical malpractice does not have to result in death. It can include:
According to one report, plaintiffs received more than $4 billion in medical malpractice lawsuits in 2018. The average claim was also $348,065, which represented more than a 16% spike from the previous year. At Pickard Law, P.C., we make sure medical malpractice plaintiffs receive the compensation they need and the justice they deserve.
Medical malpractice is more common than the average person believes. According to the Civil Justice Resource Group, there are upwards of 200,000 deaths each year because of this breach of duty. Perhaps equally concerning is that only 2.9% of victims ultimately file a claim.
At their most extreme, medical malpractice cases can be a matter of life or death. Your health influences your ability to work, travel and move while living a life free of pain and discomfort. Medical malpractice can jeopardize all the above.
Did you know that 0.8 to 1.0% of hospital patients become victims of medical malpractice and 4.8% of physicians are responsible for half of all malpractice claims? These incidents are unfortunately common due to a minority of ill-equipped doctors. Whether someone is dealing with the consequences of surgical errors or improper medication, the team at Pickard Law, P.C., will be here to represent them. Contact us online or call us at 303-989-6655 today to schedule a confidential, free consultation.
Undergoing surgery is stressful enough. The unenviable addition of medical malpractice can make the situation a nightmare. When a care provider breaches the duty of care for their patients, they not only violate the standard of the medical community but also jeopardize the patient’s health and future.
Medical malpractice can have grave consequences. Even relatively small breaches, such as improper medication or dosage, can unnecessarily hinder or complicate post-care treatment. Other potential repercussions include:
At Pickard Law, P.C., we understand the life-changing impacts medical malpractice can have. While regaining one’s health may not be possible, our team of medical malpractice attorneys will work to collect the compensation patients deserve. In Colorado, that might be up to $300,000 for noneconomic damages, $1 million on total damages and even more for lifetime injuries.
