Medical malpractice occurs when a doctor or healthcare professional fails to provide care that satisfies the accepted standards of the medical community and a patient is injured as a result.
At Morgan & Morgan, our medical malpractice attorneys can review the quality of the care you received and work with medical experts to determine if you received treatment that did not meet these standards. Our attorneys have handled thousands of medical malpractice lawsuits in Florida and have the experience needed to prove all types of medical malpractice claims, including those involving surgical errors and misdiagnoses of serious medical conditions.
Have you or a loved one been injured by a doctor or healthcare professional? If so, our medical malpractice attorneys may be able to help you recover compensation for your injuries. There is a time limit in Florida in which a medical malpractice lawsuit can be filed, so it is important that you contact us as soon as possible. Please complete our free case review form to learn how the attorneys in our Sarasota office may be able to help you.
The Medical Malpractice Lawsuit Process: What Your Attorney Will do For You
Investigate Your Case: If you select Morgan & Morgan to represent you, your attorney will review the facts of your case, determine the extent of your injuries, interview witnesses, and work with medical experts to prove that you were in fact a victim of medical malpractice.
File a Lawsuit: After the investigation is complete, your medical malpractice attorney may draft a document called a “complaint.” The lawsuit is initiated once the complaint is filed with a court of law. The person or company sued, referred to as the defendant, is required to file an “answer” to respond to the allegations contained in your lawsuit. After the answer has been filed, your case may enter the discovery phase. During discovery, the doctor or healthcare professional may be required to testify at a deposition, where he or she will answer questions under oath regarding the medical services that were provided to you.
Review Settlement Offers: Many medical malpractice lawsuits settle before going to trial. Our reputation as aggressive and skillful litigators may encourage insurance companies to seek a settlement rather than face us in the courtroom. If you receive any settlement offers, your attorney will help you determine if it provides you with full compensation for your injuries. As part of the negotiation process, your attorney may present evidence and expert reports regarding the full extent of your injuries.
Litigate Your Lawsuit: If the negotiations do not produce an adequate settlement offer, your attorney will prepare your case for trial. The medical malpractice lawyers at our firm are experienced trial lawyers who have developed an enviable track record of success in the courtroom. We know how to communicate complicated medical issues in simple terms that are easy for juries to understand.
Common Types of Medical Malpractice
Our attorneys handle lawsuits involving all types of medical malpractice in the Sarasota area, including:
- Anesthesia mistakes
- Surgical malpractice
- Emergency room errors
- Failure to perform a necessary test
- Misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis, including misdiagnosis of cancer
- Post-operative negligence
- Defective or negligently installed medical devices
- Negligent prenatal care, including failure to refer high-risk patients to appropriate specialists
- Childbirth injuries
- Medication errors, including prescribing an incorrect dose
- Suicide from dangerous drugs such as SSRI inhibitors
- Radiation injuries
- Performing unnecessary surgery or implanting medical devices, such as stents, that are not medically needed
- Failure to refer a patient to a specialist
Sarasota Birth Injury Lawyers
The attorneys at Morgan & Morgan represent the parents of children who have suffered birth injuries as a result of medical malpractice. In these cases, your attorney will have to prove that a doctor, hospital, midwife, or obstetrician acted negligently and caused your child’s birth injuries.
Examples of medical malpractice that can occur during childbirth, include:
- Neglecting to perform required tests during pregnancy
- Failure to refer high-risk patients to appropriate specialists
- Improper use of Pitocin, a drug used to induce labor
- Improper use of forceps
- Negligent delay in performing a Caesarian section
- Insufficient pre-natal testing
- Failure to refer high-risk patients to appropriate specialists
Our attorneys handle all types of birth injury lawsuits, including cases involving clavicle fractures, cerebral palsy, brachial plexus injuries (Erb’s palsy and Klumpke’s palsy), femur fractures, and brain injuries.
What Can I Recover in a Medical Malpractice Lawsuit?
Through a medical malpractice lawsuit, you may be able to recover compensation for the following types of damages:
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Medical Expenses – Under Florida law, you may be eligible to recover compensation for past and future medical bills, rehabilitation expenses, and the cost of in-home care aides to assist in your recovery.
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Lost wages – If you missed work as a result of your injuries, you may be able to recover a financial award for lost wages. In addition, if your ability to perform your job duties has been diminished, you may be able to receive compensation for your reduced earning capacity.
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Pain and suffering – Medical malpractice often inflicts significant pain and suffering on the injured party. While, in many cases, no amount of money can fully compensate a victim for the pain and suffering he or she has experienced, our medical malpractice attorneys will work hard to get you the compensation you deserve.
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Punitive damages – In cases involving particularly reckless conduct, a medical malpractice victim may be able to receive punitive damages in addition to the above-described damages. Punitive damages are intended to punish the wrongdoer and discourage other healthcare professionals from engaging in similarly risky conduct.
If you or a loved one has been injured as a result of medical malpractice, please complete our free case evaluation form to learn how our Sarasota attorneys may be able to help you.