We trust medical professionals to help us when we are sick or injured. Unfortunately, medical errors often leave people with life changing injuries. An illness may not be diagnosed properly, a terminal disease may be overlooked, or the results of a medical test may not be analyzed correctly. Our legal team has the skills that are needed to deal with medical professionals when someone has received an injury because of their negligence. We consult with authorities in their field to help the person who has the injury as well as the ones they love and make sure they are fairly compensated for what they have suffered.
WHAT CONSTITUTES MEDICAL MALPRACTICE?
Medical Negligence occurs when a medical professional breaches the recognized standard of care. Neglect takes place when a medical professional gives improper treatment to a patient or does not provide treatment for them when needed and the actions or lack of actions leads to a different or worsened state for the person seeking treatment. Claims of Malpractice can occur in many different scenarios including:
WHAT SIGNS SHOULD YOU LOOK FOR TO DETERMINE IF NEGLIGENCE TOOK PLACE?
It should be noted that sometimes a patient can have a bad medical outcome even if there was no medical malpractice. Also, some risks may be inherent to certain medical procedures. Regardless, it is no surprise that that negligence might have taken place is if someone is severely injured or their illness gets worse after a routine surgical procedure or after they have been treated for the primary problem. This is just a possible sign that negligence may have taken place. An injury can happen after a surgery if the risks could not be avoided. A doctor should be able to inform you about these risks and give you a sufficient reason as to why an illness has gotten worse or if someone you love has died.
If another medical professional offers criticism of the performance of the person that handled your treatment, this kind of information could also be a sign of negligence and you should speak to an attorney about these claims.
HOW DO YOU PROVE MEDICAL MALPRACTICE?
In order to prove medical malpractice, you must have the opinion of a competent medical expert. In Tennessee, the law generally requires that the expert have practiced for a specific time period in Tennessee or a contiguous state. In order to obtain the proof that is needed, it is best if the expert has faced similar medical situations so they can offer an opinion as to what kind of treatment should have taken place and why the treatment you received did not meet the recognized standard of care. Most cases that are successful often succeed because of the statements of the authority used in the case.
HOW DO I BEGIN THE PROCESS OF INVESTIGATING A MEDICAL MALPRACTICE CLAIM?
If you or a loved one has received additional or unforeseen injuries following treatment or surgery and you believe that medical negligence may have taken place, we recommend that you speak to an experienced Chattanooga medical malpractice attorney. Our attorneys will consult with you initially without charge. This initial meeting typically provides a lawyer with enough information to determine if you have a negligence claim that needs to be investigated more. Remember, there are very short time limitations in Tennessee so please contact our office as soon as possible.
Contact us online or call us at 800.705.2121 to set up a FREE consultation to discuss your legal options.
The insurance company has a legal team. You should too.