Medical malpractice occurs when a medical professional makes a mistake or fails to exercise an accepted degree of skill which results in an injury or death.
A medical malpractice lawsuit can be filed when a wrongful death, or surgical error has occured as a result of a medical procedure.
Each and every year thousands of people are injured or die as a result of medical malpractice. A study conducted in 1990 by the Harvard School of Medicine estimated that some 3% of patients treated in New York State Hospitals suffered as a result of some kind of medical mistake which resulted in a serous injury.
Nationally, the same study estimated that each year over 180,000 people die in scenarios related at least in part to some form of medical malpractice. Public Citizen, the non-profit consumer advocacy organization, estimates that each year 1.3 million injuries are caused by professional negligence, and that more than two thirds of such injuries are preventable.
Many attorneys successfully represent victims of medical malpractice, dental malpractice, hospital negligence and nursing home abuse. However, there are strict statutes of limitations and other rules that vary from state-to-state. In many states, the statute of limitations is a maximum of two years from the date of the incident which resulted in injury or death. So timely filing of a lawsuit is of critical importance in matters of malpractice.
If you believe that you or a loved one have been the victim of a medical mistake, medical malpractice, or medical negligence, resulting in injury or death please complete the form below.
Medical Malpractice Articles
Doctor Settles Hepatitis Case
A malpractice lawsuit that accused Dr. Harvey Finkelstein of reusing syringes has been settled by the doctor. The state Department of Health said that Finkelstein put thousands of patients at risk for hepatitis C. The man who filed the lawsuit, 66-year-old Peter Mattmuller, was found to have become infected in Finkelstein's office.
Doctor Sued in the Case of the Brain-Dead Mother
The mother of Susan Anne Catherine Torres was brain-dead at the time of her birth. It was life support that kept her mother alive so the pregnancy could be sustained and young Susan Anne could be brought into the world. This took place less than three years ago and now a medical malpractice lawsuit has been filed against one of the doctors.
Family Sues After Patient Receives Bad Lungs
All 43 year old Tony Grier of Newark wanted was a healthy set of lungs so that he could have a better quality of life. Instead, he was given lungs that were riddled with cancer and he died six months after the transplant. Now his family has filed a $100 million medical malpractice lawsuit against two hospitals, and three doctors for the 2005 transplant that took place at the hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.
Boca Raton Teen Dies During Surgery, Family Considering Lawsuit
A teenager who was to have routine corrective breast surgery never woke up after an adverse reaction to the anesthesia. Now the family is very angry, heartbroken, and are considering filing a lawsuit against the doctor who says he did all he could to save her.
Gynecologist Face Malpractice Lawsuit, Possible Indictment
A gynecologist is now facing a wrongful death suit after he performed an abortion on a patient at his Hyannis clinic in 2007, allegedly resulting in her death. The doctor is also facing a possible grand jury indictment.
Mistakes in Surgery Ruins Woman’s Life
In the space of four months Diane underwent four operations-the first, a hernia reconstruction, then three others to correct complications from the first. Diane alleges that surgery mistakes and improper practices have compromised her health and ability to work.
Doctor involved in Alabama and West Virginia Malpractice My Lose License
A physician who has practiced medicine in both Alabama and West Virginia is now facing the loss of his medical license in Alabama after being named in 120 malpractice cases in the two states.
Medical Malpractice: Fear has its Price
They're only human, after all. And like us, medical practitioners can have a bad day. A sleepless night, trouble with the kids, a bitter divorce. However, when someone in the medical community has a bad day, for whatever reason, it's often the patient that pays for it, in what is sometimes a lifelong struggle. And that could mean medical malpractice.
Medical Malpractice in the News
JAN-17-08: A jury awarded $22 million to the family of a woman who died from complications during delivery at a hospital. The
medical malpractice lawsuit was filed after the woman developed high blood pressure and a massive brain hemorrhage during labor. [
TRIBUNE: MEDICAL MALPRACTICE]
JAN-15-08: A man who claims Mayo Clinic doctors were negligent in their treatment of him has filed a
medical malpractice lawsuit. The plaintiff alleges that as a result of his treatment he suffered physical complications and emotional distress. [
POST-BULLETIN: MEDICAL MALPRACTICE]
DEC-28-07: A woman whose daughter is comatose after what was supposed to be routine surgery plans to file a
medical malpractice lawsuit against the hospital where the surgery was performed. [
JOURNAL NEWS: MEDICAL MALPRACTICE]
DEC-24-07: A woman sued a hospital and a doctor for
medical malpractice after the doctor did not perform a Caesarean section during the birth of her son, which allegedly caused permanent injury to the baby. [
BULLETIN: MEDICAL MALPRACTICE]
DEC-16-07: A mother has filed a
medical malpractice lawsuit against a hospital and doctor who took her daughter off life support without her consent. [
JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION: MEDICAL MALPRACTICE]
DEC-13-07: Medical clinics in Illinois face
medical malpractice lawsuits in two separate cases involving faulty mammograms. [
CBS 2: MEDICAL MALPRACTICE]
DEC-13-07: A woman has been awarded $2.5 million in her
medical malpractice lawsuit against a doctor who prescribed her powerful drugs after she was misdiagnosed with HIV. [
TELEGRAM: MEDICAL MALPRACTICE]
DEC-11-07: A judge has approved a $4 million
medical malpractice settlement filed by the family of a man who died of blood clots while in the care of a hospital. [
NEWS: MEDICAL MALPRACTICE]
DEC-06-07: The family of an elderly man who died after a doctor missed crucial signs of a life-threatening condition has been awarded $5.25 million in their
medical malpractice lawsuit. [
ASSOCIATED CONTENT: MEDICAL MALPRACTICE]
Medical Malpractice Legal Help
If you or a loved one has been the victim of medical malpractice, please click the link below to send your story to a lawyer who will evaluate your claim at no charge or obligation.
