Medical negligence, in legal sense, is the act or failure to act in accordance with the accepted standards of the health care practice. In many occasions, these performances or omissions have been the cause of numerous accounts of personal injuries and deaths in the United States.
Due to these scenarios, the government has ratified the necessary laws to give the injured victims the right to recovery.
This article seeks to provide basic information about medical negligence and how can the injured victims pursue their legal actions with the help of credible and reliable medical negligence lawyers.
The Contending Parties
A medical negligence claim generally has two opposing parties: the plaintiff or the injured person and the defendant or the healthcare provider who allegedly failed to abide by the standards of his/her profession. In cases of wrongful deaths, the patients' survivors are given the right to file their suits of behalf of the deceased.
Although most people may assume that health care providers pertain to physicians, these professionals may also include nurses, dentists, laboratory technicians and therapists. In some occasions, the hospitals or clinics, where the malpractice happened, are also being charged for some kind of negligence.
Establishing the Elements of the Case
Normally, the plaintiffs in a medical negligence action have to establish the following elements of their cases in order to end up with favorable results and biggest recoveries:
o The healthcare provider owes a legal duty to provide care or treatment to the patient or plaintiffs
o The defendants have breached their duty of adhering to the appropriate standards of their professions
o The breach was indeed the proximate reason of the victims' injuries
o The plaintiffs have sustained have sustained injuries and damages or died due to the defendants' negligence (a claim does not exist without any damages to recover)
Possible Recoveries Available
In pursuing a claim with medical negligence lawyers, the plaintiffs may be eligible for these types of damages:
o Compensatory Damages - These may include economic (financial losses such as medical expenses, lost wages etc.) and non-economic (physical and emotional sufferings such as loss of enjoyment, severe body pain, emotional distress and loss of relationship among others)
o Punitive Damages - These are based on the statutory provisions of the existing laws that involve reckless and negligent actions
The Need for Expert Legal Assistance
Since most cases of negligent torts entail various intricate law and legal procedures, many victims of medical malpractice, who do not fully understand their rights, choose not to further pursue their case. Indeed, filing a lawsuit without the assistance of credible medical negligence lawyer is just like a warrior without a weapon.
For an instance, proving liability certainly necessitates enough evidences. Without the help coming from a lawyer, the plaintiffs may not know the vital documents to gather. The legal process may also take long period. An able legal advocate can take charge of the case while the victims spend their time with their families or attend medical treatment sessions.
Thus, it is definitely important for medical negligence victims to have someone who can help them with their claims. With expert advice and representation, the plaintiffs will have better opportunity to obtain justice.
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