Medical negligence Personal Injury
If you are a resident of Washington, DC and feel you have been the victim of medical malpractice or negligence it is important to know what the laws are and your rights as the patient. Medical malpractice is when a medical professional fails to meet the standards of solid medical practice within their specific expertise. These medical professionals include, doctors, HMO, hospitals, nurses, or any other individual or entity that is licensed to provide medical treatment. Malpractice occurs when these entities do something that a competent medical professional would not have done or fails to do what a competent doctor would have done, ending in injury or wrongful death.
Each state carries different statues of limitations and specific laws that either protects the medical professional or patient. It is important to turn to a Medical Malpractice Attorney to make sure you have a viable case and know what your rights and time restraints are. Working on a contingency basis, Medical Malpractice Attorney's will work with Board Certified Medical Experts to assess the case using past cases as a bench mark.
Regarding personal injury in Washington DC, the malpractice law states that there is a three year statute of limitations; this is a time limit on pursuing a lawsuit in relation to a wrongful conduct. While these three years typically start from when the medical procedure or medical instance took place, there is also "The Discovery Rule" which recognizes that a patient may not realize they are injured until later in their healing process; in this case, the three years would start at that discovery of an injury.
For malpractice damages there is no cap on damages in Washington DC. Should a case go to court, Washington DC demands testimony from a medical expert to back up claims made toward the medical professional. With no limitation on Attorney fees, Washington DC does have an "Additional Rule" clause stating that a plaintiff can be barred from recovering damages if it is discovered that the plaintiff has contributed to their own damages.
Moving forward with a malpractice suit can be an emotional process which is why turning to Attorney's is the key to ones success. These Attorney's will advise and provide clear rights and expectations, making sure you are not misled or taken advantage of. Malpractice suits can be expensive which is why attorney's first assess the case to see if it is viable before accepting to work it.
Washington DC has specific guidelines for malpractice suits and it is important to research what your rights are to move forward with the process. Arm yourself with the needed information in order to present a solid case by reaching out to Attorney's.
