Santa Ana Medical Negligence Claim Attorneys – Free Consultation
Most personal injury cases involve negligence and require that plaintiffs prove defendants owed them a duty of care, breached that duty by acting carelessly, and caused injuries. While car accidents, slip/falls, and defective products are common types of negligence claims, there is another form of personal injury that often occurs in hospitals, doctor’s offices, and clinics—medical malpractice. When doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals fail to meet professional standards of care, patients may suffer significant harm, even death.
The most serious types of injuries from medical malpractice include misdiagnosis, surgical errors, birth injuries, and medication mistakes. Each of these issues could have long-term effects on a patient’s life and future health, and victims of medical malpractice deserve to have their losses compensated.
Medical malpractice claims are complicated and require extensive documentation of a victim’s injuries and losses. When possible, victims should obtain legal representation as soon as they can after addressing their immediate medical needs. Having an attorney with experience in these cases can help them secure the evidence needed to prove liability and obtain a fair settlement or verdict.
A qualified lawyer can also provide crucial insight into California-specific laws and regulations regarding filing deadlines, proof requirements, and other aspects of a personal injury case. The sooner an injured victim enlists a Santa Ana Medical Negligence Claim Attorneys – Free Consultation, the more likely they are to file a lawsuit within California’s statute of limitations and receive compensation.
To successfully claim damages for a medical malpractice injury, a victim must first demonstrate a formal doctor-patient relationship existed and that the accused healthcare professional owed them a duty of reasonable care. Victims must then show that the defendant breached this duty by providing medical treatment that fell below professional standards of care. It is also important for a victim to establish that their injury was directly linked to the alleged negligence.
Typical types of damages available to a medical malpractice victim include past and future medical expenses, lost wages or loss of earning potential, pain and suffering, and disfigurement. However, there is no guarantee that a victim will receive compensation for their injuries, and the amount awarded is based on the unique circumstances of each case.
If a victim can establish gross negligence, they may be entitled to punitive damages. These are essentially meant to punish healthcare professionals who violate their oaths to do no harm in egregious and uncharacteristic ways, like performing surgery while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, using the wrong equipment during surgery, or making other reckless or fraudulent decisions. However, these are rarely awarded and must be proven with a high degree of certainty. To discuss the details of your specific case with an experienced Santa Ana medical malpractice attorney, contact us today for a free consultation. Our attorneys work on a contingency basis, meaning you pay no fees unless we win. This gives you the peace of mind that you have a trusted legal team working on your behalf.