Every day, patients enter hospitals and doctor’s offices for routine checkups, surgical procedures, and emergency care, while entrusting their lives and their health to health care providers. While many patients check out with their health and bodies intact, some leave in worse shape than when they were admitted--and others will not check out at all.
At Meyers, Rodbell & Rosenbaum, P.A., our medical malpractice lawyer team is proud to advocate on behalf of victims who have suffered serious injuries due to medical malpractice in Maryland and Washington D.C. Our team of medical negligence lawyers understand the procedural complexities involved in medical malpractice cases, and we do not hesitate to go to trial to get you the full amount you are owed. We have a proven track record of success in complex malpractice litigation.
Types of Medical Malpractice
An estimated 440,000 deaths a year are caused by hospital errors, making them the third leading cause of death after cancer and heart disease. These deaths are not only entirely preventable, they are usually due to simple mistakes on the part of doctors, nurses, and other healthcare staff who have been entrusted with safeguarding patients’ lives.
Our injury attorneys help victims of medical malpractice and their families take proper action against hospitals and health care providers. We can get you the compensation you deserve after the disastrous effects of inadequate medical care, including:
- Medication errors
- Unnecessary surgery
- Wrong-site surgery
- Anesthesia errors
- IV errors
- Retained foreign objects (such as sponges) left in the body after surgery
- Failure to properly monitor a patient during surgery or recovery
- Hospital procedural errors
- Failure to diagnose
- Misdiagnosis
- Delayed diagnosis
- Cancer misdiagnosis or mistreatment
- Hospital-acquired infections
- Failure to treat infections
- Adverse effects of prescription medications
- Inadequate or ineffective treatment of a known condition
- Failure to order tests or properly evaluate test results
- Bad plastic surgery
- Emergency room negligence
- Fetal death
- Birth injuries
- Wrongful death
- Other improper medical care, treatment, or advice
Standard of Care in Maryland
In the medical field, "standard of care" refers to the level and type of care a reasonably competent health care provider would administer under the same or similar circumstances. It's a benchmark for measuring whether a provider acted appropriately.
Factors influencing the standard of care include:
- The patient's age, overall health, and medical history
- Specific symptoms presented and diagnostic tests conducted
- The provider's specialty, training, and experience level
- Accepted treatment protocols for the condition in question
Essentially, the standard of care reflects the medical community's consensus on appropriate treatment for a given scenario. While it allows for some variation in approach, it sets a baseline expectation.
Common examples of standard of care breaches include:
- Failing to order appropriate diagnostic tests based on symptoms
- Misinterpreting lab results or imaging scans
- Disregarding a patient's known drug allergies or risk factors
- Performing a procedure without proper training or supervision
- Neglecting to monitor a patient post-treatment
You need evidence showing the provider's actions were inconsistent with what a reasonably prudent professional would do. Evidence might involve medical records, clinical guidelines, or hospital policy manuals.
Get the Guidance and Experience You Need to Win Your Case
The first thing you must realize after a medical error is that you are not alone. You may feel as if it is impossible to take on a powerful doctor, hospital, or other health care service, and the thought of a court case may be overwhelming during your recovery. At MR&R, our experienced medical malpractice attorneys will take on the fight for you, getting you the monetary damages you need for corrective surgeries, long-term rehabilitation, lost wages, lost quality of life, pain and suffering, and other costs of your injury.
You should also be aware that there is a limited time to file a claim for damages due to a medical error. Even if you are not sure if you want to pursue a lawsuit, it is important to seek legal counsel on your medical rights and legal options as soon as possible. Our attorneys will listen to the details of your case and ensure that you meet the necessary filing deadlines to protect your right to compensation. If you believe that you or a loved one may be the victim of medical malpractice, contact us today to speak with a member of our legal team.