Medical Malpractice Injuries And Claims

Medical malpractice can happen in any health care setting. This includes not just hospitals and clinics, but also dentist offices, nursing homes and anywhere else that medical treatment is offered. A medical malpractice claim may be appropriate any time an injury, illness or death occurs due to a failure to deliver adequate care on the part of a dentist, doctor or nurse.

Proving Medical Malpractice

To file a valid medical malpractice claim in Georgia, you must establish two things; that the treatment provided failed to meet an acceptable standard of care and that the resulting injury or death was directly related to the treatment (or lack of treatment). A standard of care is the reasonable level of treatment and care you should expect for a specific injury or condition as defined by medical professionals. The standard of care varies from patient to patient based on age, overall health and other factors.

There is also a two-year statute of limitations on medical malpractice claims in Georgia. This means that if you don’t file a claim within two years of the injury or death, you lose the right to file such a claim forever. In general, if you suspect you have a medical malpractice case, the sooner you file your claim, the better.

Common Medical Malpractice Injuries

There is no legally defined list of specific injuries that qualify for medical malpractice lawsuits, but most claims fall under one of the following categories:

• Birth injuries due to negligence or mistakes
• Misdiagnosis leading to lifelong injury or death
• Surgical errors
• Misreading X-rays or lab results
• Anesthesia or medication errors
• Nursing home injuries

Health care providers are not likely to step forward and take responsibility for their mistakes. Errors, negligence and mistakes on the part of caregivers can result in a lifetime of medical bills, lost income and greatly reduced quality of life.

Call The Medical Malpractice Attorneys At Vaughn & Clements

If you suspect medical malpractice, call Vaughn & Clements, P.C. at 706-383-7581 or contact us online. We can help determine if you have a claim.