Going to the doctor is hardly ever an enjoyable experience, especially if you are experiencing a medical emergency that necessitates an invasive and painful operation. If you do find yourself in need of treatment at a private practice, urgent care clinic, hospital, or any other type of healthcare facility, you have a right to expect that you will receive the same standard and quality of care as any other patient, and you also have a right to file suit if you are injured or become seriously ill through the lack of such care.
Civil claims over medical malpractice work similarly to standard personal injury litigation in some ways and very differently in others. Our experienced personal injury attorneys’ support could be especially important to achieving case success. If you suspect your doctor’s misconduct has led to you suffering preventable harm, contacting our Southfield medical malpractice lawyers at Thurswell Law for assistance should be among your top priorities.
Understanding the Standard of Care for Medical Professionals
One of the main reasons why medical malpractice lawsuits are more complex in practice than most other types of injury cases is the fact that negligence is defined differently for doctors than it is for ordinary people. An average person can be held civilly liable for violating a duty of care that applies equally to everyone under the circumstances, such as the duty all motor vehicle drivers have to obey traffic laws and pay attention behind the wheel.
Medical professionals, on the other hand, are subject to a standard of care based not on what any average person would be expected to do but instead on what another doctor with the same skills and experience would do if presented with precisely the same working conditions. As our Southfield medical malpractice attorneys will affirm, this means doctors are granted some legal leeway for minor mistakes, which most people would not get if those mistakes were ones that any qualified physician might have made under the circumstances.
Holding the Right People Responsible for Damages
Another way in which medical malpractice litigation can be uniquely complicated is the degree to which a medical error can comprehensively change the course of an injured or sick person’s life. Especially when it comes to mistakes like misdiagnoses, a single negligent act by a healthcare provider can sometimes be a matter of life and death. It can lead to unexpected medical bills, lost work income, physical and psychological trauma, and numerous other preventable losses.
Fortunately, it is often possible to name both individual healthcare practitioners and the companies that employed them as defendants in malpractice lawsuits, which can allow for substantially more recovery than a claim filed against just a single doctor would. Most physicians in Southfield and throughout Michigan also have medical malpractice insurance policies meant to provide compensation to patients harmed in this way, which our seasoned lawyers could help take full advantage of.
Learn More About Legal Options from a Southfield Medical Malpractice Attorney
Personal injury litigation is always tough to go through as a plaintiff, but suing a doctor for negligence can be especially difficult. Without support from a knowledgeable legal professional who has handled similar claims successfully in the past, you may have serious trouble getting any compensation at all, let alone the full amount you deserve for your damages.
Assistance from our Southfield medical malpractice lawyers will make a tremendous difference in your ability to enforce your rights and get the favorable case result you want. Learn more by calling 248-621-8799 today.