Medical malpractice in Arizona occurs when a medical professional like a hospital, nursing home, clinic, nurse or doctor does not properly treat a medical condition or fails to timely diagnose a medical condition. Though many people in Phoenix have heard of medical malpractice, few understand how to identify it and just how pervasive it is. Read below how you can recover compensation with the help of our Phoenix personal injury lawyers.
Statistics on Medical Malpractice
Current estimates suggest that up to 195,000 medical deaths each year can be attributed to some form of medical malpractice, whether it is an error during surgery, failure to properly diagnose a condition, delay in treatment, or medication mix-up at the hospital. Regardless of how an incident occurs, it is clear that mistakes made by medical professionals have very real and dire consequences, often costing patients their lives.
The number of deaths caused by medical mistakes may seem shocking but many more individuals suffer injuries or medical complications due to malpractice than those that lose their lives. The results experienced by these patients can vary widely from little effect on the patient, to additional scarring or a longer recovery, or even to a permanent, limiting condition that affects a patient for the remainder of his or her life.
Medical Malpractice Causes
Like in many other aspects of life, not every unintended or less-than-ideal result is medical malpractice and not every incident can be prevented. Some procedures involve known risks that may arise and medications may have known interactions that can occur. However, when a deviation from the medical standard of care occurs, there may be medical malpractice and an injured victim may be entitled to relief.
How to File a Medical Malpractice Claim
If you suspect that a family member has been a victim of medical malpractice that has caused serious injury or death, contact our office and talk to a medical negligence attorney. We will look at your case and obtain all of the information needed to evaluate the claim. If there is possibly a claim, we will examine medical records related to the medical care. We can also have a medical doctor or nurse evaluate the case with us, if needed.
If handling a possible medical malpractice case, we are as truthful as we can be with potential clients. When there is a bad result from medical treatment, it does not always mean that there is a good claim.
Medicine is far from perfect and there are risks associated with even the best, most trusted medical care. That being said, if a doctor or nurse fails to use an acceptable method of treatment or makes an error, and if that failure or error causes serious injury, then there could be a malpractice claim to pursue.
Contact our office for a free consultation if you believe a family member has become a victim of medical malpractice. Contact Abels & Annes online or call (855) 749-5299.
Common Medical Malpractice Claims in Phoenix
Here are several types of medical malpractice and the possible injuries resulting there from:
- Injuries from failure to diagnose
- Injuries from diagnosis delays
- Injuries from misdiagnosis
- Injuries at birth injuries, such as cerebral palsy or brain damage
- Surgical injuries
- Cardiovascular surgery injuries
- Brain injuries
- Hospital injuries
- Medication injuries
- Medication side effects
Who Can Be Liable for Medical Malpractice?
Often, victims of medical mistakes are not clear on the law regarding medical malpractice and who can be liable for errors. In the simplest cases, anyone engaged in a medical procedure who deviates from the standard of care can be liable for his or her mistakes. This includes an individual doctor, a medical team or staff working together, hospitals who employ doctors and nurses that err, physicians who treat residents at nursing homes, and in-home care providers in many cases. If a mistake happened during a medical procedure, test, examination, or diagnosis, it is worth speaking with an injury lawyer to learn whether there is a valid claim.
In some cases, a mistake or negligence may have caused injuries to a victim but it may not have been during medical treatment. A victim of negligence may still be entitled to relief in these cases though they may be considered a general negligence claim instead of medical malpractice and an attorney can help you determine what legal options exist in your specific case.
What to Do if You Suspect Medical Malpractice
In many cases, it can be difficult to know whether you or your loved one has been a victim of medical malpractice. Doctors and nurses may not be forthcoming with facts about what happened during a procedure or you may be intentionally or unintentionally misled about the truth. If you suspect that medical malpractice or a medical mistake may have occurred during your medical treatment, call us today at (855) 749-5299 or locally at (602) 819-5191 and let us provide you with a free case consultation.
Consult with an Experienced Medical Malpractice Attorney
There is no obligation on your part for taking advantage of our free consultation and at Abels & Annes, P.C., if we represent you in your claim, we never charge a fee unless we make a recovery on your behalf.
We understand the far-reaching effects that a medical mistake can have on a victim and on the victim's family which is why we work hard to get each client the best possible result in a case.
Do not keep wondering about what happened during your treatment; call us today and let us help you get the answers and the relief that you deserve.