Things to Know About Medical Malpractice
Are you or a loved one in the process of choosing a medical malpractice attorney in Augusta? Check out these things to know about medical malpractice, then Contact Malchow Johnson Injury Lawyers today for a free case review.
Choosing a Medical Malpractice Attorney in Augusta
We were recently contacted by a man who may have been the victim of medical malpractice at a local hospital here in Augusta. One of his first questions to us was how to go about finding a medical malpractice lawyer. If you’re reading this, you may be having a similar question – how do you find a malpractice lawyer?
Malpractice is different. It typically requires much more extensive litigation. It requires expert testimony, too, which can be expensive. When you’re looking for a malpractice attorney, you want to make sure that that attorney has prior experience in medical malpractice cases. There are procedural rules that you have to follow in order to prosecute a claim against any doctor or medical facility in the state of Georgia. You have to have an expert affidavit to attach to your lawsuit when you file it at the courthouse, otherwise it will be be immediately dismissed. Given these complexities, you want to make sure that the attorney you work with has represented people in these cases in the past.
You also want to make sure that the attorney has the resources necessary to find expert witnesses. Expert witnesses are gatekeepers in medical malpractice cases. If you don’t have a good expert witness, then you will not succeed in a medical malpractice case. You also want to make sure that the attorney has been around and has experience not only in the courtroom, but the resources that it will take to prosecute this case. Medical malpractice cases, as stated, can involve expert testimony from medical doctors, and they charge a significant amount of money for that testimony.
You want to find an attorney who maintains a focus in personal injury, who has handled malpractice cases in the past, and who has a network of experts they trust and who have proven their worth in trial. If you think that you have been the victim of malpractice, we would be more than happy to sit down and answer any questions that you have.
Common Mistakes in a Medical Malpractice Case
What are common mistakes people make in cases involving medical malpractice? We were recently contacted by a man whose mother had sustained an injury in a local doctor’s office. In looking at the circumstances surrounding that case, it was clear that certain mistakes had been made early on by the client. If you’re reading this, there’s a chance that you may have sustained an injury that you believe is the result of medical malpractice, and you may want to try to avoid these mistakes.
The first mistake that I see is that people delay getting an attorney. While that may sound a bit self-serving, in the context of a medical malpractice case, you do need an attorney. You cannot handle a medical malpractice case on your own, and you’re going to need to get an attorney as quickly as possible. Medical malpractice cases can take a very, very long time to litigate. The attorney has to get medical records together, to start with. The attorney then needs to deliver those medical records to an expert, and not just any expert, but an expert who is qualified under Georgia law to testify as to the negligence of whatever medical entity you’re attempting to sue. Whether the liable party in your case is a doctor or a hospital, you’re going to have to find the right expert, and an attorney is going to need to get involved as quickly as possible.
Another common mistake that you want to avoid is hiring the wrong lawyer. In the context of medical malpractice, because it involves expert witnesses and is a very nuanced part of the law, you want to hire a trial lawyer who has experience not only in prosecuting personal injury cases, but also has significant experience in handling medical malpractice cases. They are different from other types of personal injury cases, and they require expert testimony. That expert testimony can get expensive.
You want to make sure that the attorney you hire has the resources necessary to see that expert witness testimony and your case through to the end. You also want to make sure that your attorney has the experience necessary to know which type of expert witness to hire; after all, your case is only going to be as good as the expert witness that you hire to testify in your case. If you hire an expert witness who doesn’t know what they’re doing or you hire an expert witness who is not even going to be qualified to testify in the state, then your case will fail, no matter how negligent the doctors or other healthcare providers were or how badly you were injured.
If you’ve been injured as a result of someone’s medical malpractice and you have questions about it, we would be more than happy to answer any and all questions that you might have.
How Much Is My Medical Malpractice Claim Worth?
We are often asked how much a medical malpractice case is worth. We were recently contacted by someone who had experienced an injury at a local hospital and they had that exact same question – how much is the medical malpractice case worth, or what is its value? If you’re reading this, you probably have the same question. The answer is it depends on many different variables.
For one, it depends on how badly the person is hurt. Medical malpractice cases often injure people very, very badly, and they have the potential to alter someone’s life permanently. The medical bills that come with medical malpractice cases often are significantly higher than in other cases, as well. Oftentimes, the person will have higher lost wages, too. Finally, medical malpractice itself will have a significant effect on the person’s life and the relationships that they have.
If you are reading this and you think that you have been the victim of malpractice, or you know someone who has been the victim of malpractice, and you have questions about it, I would urge you to find an attorney who is experienced in litigating malpractice cases,. You need a personal injury attorney who has significant experience in successfully litigating cases involving malpractice and expert witnesses and who has the resources to see a case through to its end.
If you’ve been the victim of any type of malpractice and you have questions, we would be more than happy to sit down and answer any questions that you have.
Contact Our Augusta Office Today
Were you or a loved one seriously injured due to hospital negligence and have questions about how much your medical malpractice case is worth?
Contact the experienced Augusta medical malpractice lawyers at Malchow Johnson Injury Lawyers today for a free consultation and case evaluation after you read our things to know about medical malpractice.
Let our experience and dedication work for you.
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