If you or a loved one sustained serious injuries due to medical malpractice, it is crucial to take immediate legal action. The medical professional needs to be held liable for the harm they cause and compensate you for your damages. For over 32 years, the medical malpractice lawyers at Slater & Zurz in Columbus, Ohio, have helped injured victims get the justice they deserve. Our leading lawyers for medical malpractice in Columbus will help guide you through the entire claims process while aggressively pursuing maximum compensation on your behalf. We will stop at nothing to resolve your case successfully so you can put this challenging time behind you and move on with your life, knowing justice was served.
Doctors and other medical professionals serve a crucial role in our society. We depend on healthcare providers to diagnose our illnesses and treat us properly so we can return to good health. In turn, physicians swear an oath to do no harm and are expected to abide by that oath by providing competent and sufficient care.
Unfortunately, there are times when doctors, nurses, and other healthcare providers don’t live up to those standards, rendering care below what is both reasonable and expected in their profession. When medical professionals fail to provide an accepted standard of care, they can cause devastating and permanent injuries to their patients, sometimes even death. Victims of medical negligence have the right to hold those responsible accountable for their actions and pursue maximum recovery to help them heal from their injuries and recover from the financial burden those injuries have caused.
Addressing Medical Negligence: Legal Solutions for Patients’ Rights
Medical malpractice occurs when a medical professional or provider neglects to provide the recognized standard of care and, as a result, causes injury to the patient. If an injury does not result from the healthcare provider’s mistake, it does not typically qualify as medical negligence. Medical errors can relate to issues such as patient diagnosis, the type or dosage of medication, surgical treatment, or aftercare.
According to a recent study by Johns Hopkins Medicine, nearly 10% of all deaths in the United States are due to medical errors. This means that these errors lead to more than 250,000 deaths annually, making it the third leading cause of death among Americans, behind only heart disease and cancer. It is also estimated that medication or prescription errors are the most frequent types of medical errors, with nearly 1.5 million people suffering injuries annually. Other common types of medical malpractice cases involve:
- Failure to diagnose or misdiagnosis
- Birth injuries
- Surgical errors
- Anesthesia errors
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Emergency room negligence
- Lack of informed consent
- Chiropractic errors
- Patient neglect
- Failure to obtain patient information
- Failure to treat or delayed treatment
Failure to Diagnose and Misdiagnosis
An essential part of providing competent care to a patient is accurately assessing their health conditions. Failing to diagnose or incorrectly diagnose a condition is a specific type of medical negligence that occurs when a physician fails to take the proper steps in determining the nature and extent of a patient’s medical problem. When a doctor or specialist doesn’t provide an accurate diagnosis or any diagnosis at all, it can deny a patient the proper and effective treatment their condition requires. Not receiving the proper treatment can quickly lead to serious complications and even a patient’s wrongful death.
Not all misdiagnoses qualify as medical malpractice, however. In order to bring a valid medical malpractice claim against your doctor, you must show that their failure to properly diagnose your medical condition directly led to injury or the worsening of your medical condition. Failure to diagnose cases can be challenging because they often involve a dispute over the applicable standard of care. Whether or not the physician provided the widely accepted standard of care will likely come down to the testimony of an expert witness, one who is a licensed professional with extensive experience diagnosing and treating similar medical conditions.
Maximizing Recovery in Columbus Medical Malpractice
Our leading Columbus, Ohio, medical malpractice law firm has assembled a reputable team of expert medical professionals who can provide medical insight into your case’s specifics. They will thoroughly assess your condition and subsequent injuries and carefully review your doctor’s actions to determine if the situation qualifies as medical malpractice. If so, our medical experts will provide compelling testimony supporting your case while our lawyers fight aggressively to obtain maximum recovery for your losses.
Available Compensation In a Columbus Medical Malpractice Claim
Like other personal injury cases, when a doctor, nurse, or other healthcare provider is negligent, he or she is liable for the consequences of their actions. He or she may be required to compensate the injured patient. Depending on the nature and extent of your injuries, the compensation available to you may include the following:
- Medical bills
- Future medical care, including rehabilitation
- Medication
- Costs for assistive care, such as life support equipment
- In-home or long-term facility care
- Lost wages
- Lost earning capacity
- Home and vehicle modifications
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional trauma
- Disfigurement
- Disability
- Loss of enjoyment
- Loss of consortium
- Wrongful death damages
Establishing Liability in a Columbus, Ohio, Medical Malpractice Case
Several types of medical professionals can be held liable for injuries caused by their negligent or reckless acts or omissions. Proving liability in these cases requires substantial evidence, which our Columbus personal injury lawyers will expertly compile. Evidence typically includes medical records, X-rays or lab results, expert testimony, and statements from witnesses present at the time of the incident. Liable parties in a medical malpractice claim may include:
- Physicians
- Nurses
- Surgeons
- Anesthesiologists
- Pharmacists
- Oncologists
- Radiologists
- Chiropractors
- Dentists
- Pharmacies
- Urgent care facilities
- Hospitals
- Long-term care facilities
- Rehabilitation centers
- Clinics
- Medical laboratories
Representation by a Skilled Columbus, Ohio, Medical Malpractice Attorney
If you or a loved one has been seriously injured due to the negligence of a medical professional, we urge you to contact our medical malpractice attorneys immediately to discuss your legal options. You place your trust in doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals to provide you with an appropriate standard of care in every service they provide. If negligent acts or other wrongdoing causes you or your loved one injury and other associated losses, you may be entitled to substantial compensation.
When you work with the qualified legal team at Slater & Zurz LLP Law firm, one of Columbus, Ohio’s premier Medical Malpractice firms, you have over 150 years of collective legal experience on your side. We consistently recover maximum compensation for our clients because we know how to aggressively represent your best interests during every step of the process. If negotiations don’t result in a favorable settlement, our seasoned Columbus medical malpractice attorneys at Slater & Zurz will not hesitate to take the matter to court and advocate powerfully on your behalf.
To learn how to file a medical malpractice claim, contact us at (614)756-2714 to arrange your FREE consultation with one of our dedicated and compassionate medical malpractice lawyers in Columbus.
To bring a successful medical malpractice claim, four elements will need to be proven.
- A doctor-patient relationship existed; therefore, the doctor owed you a duty of care.
- The doctor or medical professional neglected to provide you with the accepted standard of care, meaning the doctor did not act as other physicians would have in a similar situation.
- Their failure to provide you with appropriate care directly caused injury or harm.
- Your injuries led to specific damages, such as medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering.