When you have a medical procedure done, get prescribed medicine, or receive an illness diagnosis, you expect to be given the best treatment and results possible. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. In fact, about 98,000 Americans die every year because of preventable medical errors. This includes 7,000 deaths alone caused by errors in medication. These errors are why the medical malpractice legal process is in place. So, let’s take a look at a few misconceptions of medical malpractice lawsuits you should know about.
The Doctor is Always at Fault
One of the biggest misconceptions about medical malpractice lawsuits is that the doctor who was responsible for the care of the patient is always at fault. Like many other types of legal claims, there are usually several parties who could be responsible for medical malpractice incidents. Anyone who was involved in medical care can be held liable, including nurses, anesthesiologists, and other medical professionals. This is why it’s important to find an attorney who can help determine who was actually at fault.
Medical Malpractice Lawsuits are Easy
Unfortunately, medical malpractice lawsuits are some of the most difficult and complex lawsuits. These types of cases require extensive evidence, the help of an expert witness, and so much more. If you don’t get an expert witness to testify in court against the medical professional who did something wrong, you might not even make it to court. Once a lawsuit is filed, the patient doesn’t just start getting money from their doctor. Because a medical professional’s reputation can be hurt drastically by a malpractice claim, these cases can be very difficult to settle.
You Have to be Injured to File a Malpractice Claim
People often make the mistake of thinking that if they weren’t injured during a medical procedure, they can’t file a malpractice case. But medical malpractice covers a wide variety of medical care. This includes misdiagnosis, improper administration of medicine, and more. Overall, patients who fail to receive an adequate level of medical care could have a medical malpractice claim.
Medical malpractice lawsuits are complex and can take quite a long time to settle. Hopefully this article cleared up some confusion regarding these types of cases. If you’re looking for a lawyer to help with your medical malpractice claim, contact Steigmann Law today.