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When medical malpractice occurs, the results are usually life-altering. It can not only cause more injury and physical pain to the victim, but it can affect the lives of your family. If you were the victim of medical negligence, you will need a Washington, DC medical malpractice lawyer fighting on your behalf so you can receive the maximum amount of compensation for your injuries.
Regan Zambri Long’s DC medical malpractice lawyers have won millions for their clients, including an $11 million settlement in a medical malpractice case against a health maintenance organization and hospital after heart surgery. They are experts in complicated malpractice lawsuits and will fiercely defend your rights to compensation.
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Medical malpractice occurs when a medical professional, such as a physician, nurse, home health care provider, or physical or occupational therapist, has breached their duty of care by providing care and treatment in a careless or negligent manner, causing serious injury or death. When this occurs, victims and their families may be able to pursue a personal injury claim to seek the justice and compensation they are entitled.
It can be difficult to prove medical malpractice without the right lawyer. You will need a medical expert to show how your doctor’s actions caused your injuries. But fortunately, a Washington, DC medical malpractice lawyer at Regan Zambri Long PLLC has the resources available to help you prove your claim.
Our medical malpractice lawyers have handled thousands of cases in the Washington, DC area. As a nurse and a practicing medical malpractice lawyer, Partner Jacqueline T. Colclough has both the experience and the medical knowledge that’s needed for these types of negligence claims. We’ve received some of the largest settlements and verdicts for medical malpractice victims in Washington, DC, and we are ready to speak with you today to learn more about your claim and to see how we can help.
While there is no set amount for malpractice damages, your Washington, DC medical malpractice lawyer will work hard to secure the maximum amount of financial compensation possible. Damages can include:
The limits on reimbursement for medical malpractice vary from state to state. At this time, there is no cap on compensation for a medical malpractice lawsuit in Washington, DC.
Medical malpractice occurs when a patient is injured because the medical professional either acted negligently or failed to act, causing either further injury or serious harm to the life of the patient. For your injury to be considered negligence, your DC medical malpractice attorney will need to show that another medical professional would not have acted in the same manner under the same circumstances.
According to a study conducted by Johns Hopkins Medicine, over an eight-year period, more than 250,000 deaths were caused by a medical error in the United States. It is considered the third-leading cause of death in the U.S. today. Unfortunately, medical malpractice does take its toll on the victim — a study published in the peer-reviewed journal BMJ found that medical errors impact one in every 20 patients every year. The study further found that approximately 12 percent of preventable patient harm results in either a permanent disability or death.
Medical negligence is often unexpected and can be very expensive, leading to financial distress. If the medical error causes physically debilitating injuries, the victim will most likely miss work, losing wages on top of piling medical bills. If the injury is permanent, the victim will lose future wages, as well. Surgical errors can have devastating effects on the victim, including permanent disfigurement, infertility, nerve damage, or paralysis.
Medical malpractice comes in several different forms — from a doctor missing a diagnosis to failing to treat a patient properly to nursing home abuse. The most common types of medical malpractice cases our law firm handles include:
The most common type of medical malpractice is misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis. This is when the doctor fails to diagnose a condition properly or delays the diagnosis which can seriously impact the patient’s treatment options and even survival rate. For example, cancer is very commonly misdiagnosed or not diagnosed in time. A late diagnosis could lead to the patient missing a window for treatment that may stop the progression of the illness. By failing to diagnose the condition in time, the disease or illness could progress to a point where the patient’s life is at risk and additional treatment will be needed.
A misdiagnosis can cause the patient to be treated inappropriately, causing even more harm to that patient. For example, cancer is commonly misdiagnosed. If the doctor believes a tumor is not malignant and fails to run tests, that tumor can double in size and put the patient’s life at risk.
Another type of medical malpractice is a surgical error. A surgical error is known as a “preventable mistake,” because many times, what happens is not a known or expected risk, but was the result of the surgeon’s negligence. Some examples of surgical errors include tools or sponges left inside the body during surgery, ineffective sterilization during surgery, or anesthesia errors that endanger the patient’s life.
Other medical malpractice cases include failure to treat a patient properly. This is when doctors diagnose the problem quickly, but fail to treat or prescribe the correct medication. Failure to treat a patient properly could be discharging the patient too soon, lack of follow-up care, prescribing the wrong medication, or incorrect dosage of prescription drugs.
A medication error has been defined by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a “preventable event” that could lead to harming the patient while under “the control of the health care professional, patient, or consumer.” Common examples of medical malpractice include prescribing the wrong medication or the wrong dosage, a healthcare professional administrating the wrong medication to a patient, and failing to warn patients about the risks associated with the medication.
The statute of limitations or the period of time injury victims have to file a medical malpractice claim in Washington, DC is three years. In most cases, that means three years from the date the medical error occurred. However, the three-year clock can also start from the date you discovered you were harmed by a medical error. The statute of limitations varies depending upon many factors: the place where the medical malpractice occurred; whether the medical malpractice causes death; and when the medical malpractice was discovered. These factors are very fact-specific.
To make sure you don’t miss any important deadlines, you should consult with a DC medical malpractice lawyer as soon as you have reason to believe that you or a family member may have been a victim of medical malpractice. Once it is outside of the prescribed time period, the victim or the victim’s family members will not be able to pursue a claim and potentially collect compensation.
In medical malpractice lawsuits, the burden of proof, which is the responsibility to prove the claim you made, falls on the victim. This may seem overwhelming, but if you have a DC medical malpractice lawyer from Regan Zambri Long by your side, you have nothing to fear. Our Washington, DC medical malpractice attorneys will work to determine who is at fault and how to prove it.
The party or parties responsible for medical negligence will be unique to your case, but any healthcare provider acting in an official capacity can be held responsible for their own negligence that caused the patient harm. Hospitals can also be liable for allowing unqualified and/or incompetent professionals to care for patients. Our DC medical malpractice attorneys will collect as much information about your case as possible, including medical records, prescriptions, hospital scans, and medical bills.
According to the National Library of Medicine, The injured patient must show that the physician acted negligently in rendering care, and that such negligence resulted in injury. To do so, four legal elements must be proven: (1) a professional duty owed to the patient; (2) breach of such duty; (3) injury caused by the breach; and (4) resulting damages. Money damages, if awarded, typically take into account both actual economic loss and noneconomic loss, such as pain and suffering.
Our DC medical malpractice attorneys will work hard to prove:
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Each case is different, but a medical malpractice suit is often complicated and can take several years before the case is resolved. However, our medical negligence attorneys have the knowledge, experience, and financial backing to take on large hospitals and insurance companies. You can rest assured that your Washington, DC medical malpractice lawyer will be with you every step of the way.
If you or a loved one has been a victim of medical malpractice, our law firm can help you secure the justice and compensation that you deserve. Any time you believe that negligence played a part in your injury, you should consult with a personal injury attorney in Washington, DC. Remember, the longer you wait, the more likely your case will be outside of the statute of limitations in Washington, DC, and you will likely not be able to pursue a claim and potentially collect compensation.
Our Washington, DC personal injury lawyers have recovered millions of dollars in compensation for our clients. As our client, you will enjoy peace of mind in knowing that your rights will be protected from start to finish. We will do everything in our power to secure the maximum compensation you need to pay for injury-related expenses, such as medical care and lost income, as well as full compensation for all of the physical and emotional consequences of your injuries.
Don’t navigate a medical malpractice case by yourself. At Regan Zambri Long PLLC, our medical malpractice attorneys in Washington, DC have investigated and litigated hundreds of cases involving medical malpractice. Our law firm has obtained significant settlements and verdicts for our clients, providing them with the financial resources to put their lives back together.
Schedule a free medical malpractice case consultation today by calling (202) 960-4596 or sending our team a message now. We look forward to hearing about how we can help you with your case.
Regan Zambri Long Personal Injury Lawyers, PLLC
1919 M St NW Suite 600
Washington, DC 20036
