Medcal Malpractice – Frequently Asked Questions

What is my case worth?

If you have been a victim of medical malpractice, you may be wondering – what is your case worth? To answer that question we must ask many other questions. One of the first questions you will be asked is – ‘What are your damages?’ This basically asks ‘What have you lost due to the malpractice?’ Lost wages is just one type of damages. Lost wages can be one of the easier types of damages to put a dollar figure on. If you have been seriously injured and unable to work you may have missed months of work. What if you are unable to work ever again? Obliviously if you missed a few weeks of work it is less serious than an injury that permanently prevents you from ever returning to work. So much depends on the specifics of your unique case. Our medical malpractice attorneys have the experience in dealing with these unique cases. We can help you figure out the value of your case and fight for your maximum benefits. Other forms of damages can include pain & suffering and medical expenses. Each of these damages can be difficult to put an exact dollar figure on. Pain & suffering can be especially difficult, each persons pain & suffering can be different. Other factors include the victims age, type of life lived before the accident and impact of injury on themselves and family members.

 

Cerebral Palsy

Our attorneys handle cerebral palsy cases that are the result of medical malpractice. Cerebral palsy typically occurs when a child doesn’t receive enough oxygen during the birth process. With today’s technology there are many monitors and tests that are constantly performed on a woman that is giving birth. The doctor and medical staff that are involved in the birth process have a responsibility to monitor these tests. Along with monitoring they must react in the event that the equipment shows any type of distress for the mother or the child. If the medical staff does not respond in a timely manner the unborn child may ultimately suffer. If a “c-section” is not performed in a timely manner the child may have a lack of oxygen; also resulting in the child developing cerebral palsy.

So what can be done? Our Maryland cerebral palsy lawyers will investigate your case and help you find the answers to your questions. Why exactly did your child develop cerebral palsy? Was there any potential warning signs? Were these warning signs properly addressed? Could this situation have been avoidable? All of these questions deserved to be answered. If it is proven that you child’s cerebral palsy was the cause of medical malpractice you may be entitled to financial compensation. Financial compensation that can be used to help increase the quality of life for your child. Children with cerebral palsy typically require physical therapy and long-term treatments. Long term treatments that can help them with every-day activities. For example many cerebral palsy children have stiff or rigid muscle movments. With the help of physical therapy and exercise they may increase their range of motion. Over time, they may be able to perform more tasks that they previously were unable to do.

Each year, 7 out of every 1000 babies born will be the victims of varying birth injuries. Children sometimes suffer injuries as a natural result of birthing processes either before, during, or after birth. Many of the injuries sustained by these children occur due to no fault of the doctor or his or her medical staff. However, there are circumstances in which the doctor’s negligence or their staff’s negligence causes injury to the child. 

Medical malpractice occurs when licensed healthcare providers fail to provide care to a patient in accordance with the medical community’s accepted standards of care and the patient suffers an injury or death as a result. Newly born children are no exception. When a child’s birth injury can be linked to the negligence of a licensed healthcare provider, parents may have the grounds necessary to file a medical malpractice claim. 

It is the doctor’s responsibility to diagnose and treat any maternal or fetal medical problems that may arise during pregnancy, labor, or delivery. Approximately 28,000 children suffer some type of birth injury each year. An unsettling number of these injuries are the result of a doctor’s negligence. It is difficult to quantify the number of birth injuries that occur due to medical malpractice each year, but most would agree that even one child is too many.