When you or a loved one goes to see a medical provider you have an expectation that they are going to care for you or your loved one properly and ensure your health is on the right track.
Medical providers are people and unfortunately, they make errors in providing care to their patients. These errors can often have life-changing, debilitating consequences and even death. If you or a loved one has been the victim of a medical provider’s negligence, you may be entitled to compensation for any injuries sustained.
If you have experienced added pain and suffering, health problems, or a prolonged recovery due to a misdiagnosis, you may be able to receive compensation for added hospital time, lost wages, medical expenses and pain and suffering.
If you lost a loved one due to a medical provider’s negligence or nursing home abuse or neglect, you also have a right to fight for compensation.
Our Pittsburgh medical malpractice attorneys can help you recover the costs of injuries, pain, suffering and lost wages or future lost wages. We offer free case evaluations and do not charge any fees unless we win your case.
What Is Negligent Treatment In Pittsburgh?
There are two very broad categories that most negligent treatment cases will fall into:
- Negligent Diagnosis
- Mistakes in Treatment
Negligence may stem from failure to follow-up on test results or incorrectly interpreting test results. Doctors may not conduct a complete physical exam or recognize symptoms early enough or obtain a patient’s medical history, resulting in a worsening condition for the patient.
These categories cover a wide variety of errors and mistakes made by medical providers. Some negligent acts include:
- Misdiagnosis
- Failure to Diagnose
- Hospital or Emergency Room Errors
- Failure to Treat
- Improper Prescription of Medication, Prescription Errors, Wrong Medication
- Misreading Tests, Scans and/or Radiology Reports
- Nursing Home Neglect / Abuse
- Elder Abuse
We are here to help answer your questions and provide the assistance you need in order to get the maximum compensation that is owed to you, including:
- Past and future medical expenses
- Current and future lost wages
- Emotional distress
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of quality of life
Compensation for Negligent Care
You place your trust in medical professionals to care for you and treat you in a reasonable and expert manner. When they fail to provide at least standard care, they can, and should, be held accountable. In order to win a case for negligent care, the burden is on the patient to prove that there was a violation of the standard of care.
There are three (3) criteria that must be met in order to prove negligent care:
- The doctor or healthcare provider must have owed you a duty to act within the appropriate standard of care;
- The provider must have breached that duty of care; and
- The patient must have sustained an injury as a direct result of said breach.
The first step in any medical malpractice case is to obtain a Certificate of Merit from an expert in the medical field with the necessary credentials. This expert must review the facts of your case and be willing to testify that the medical provider’s actions in your case were negligent and/or violated the standard of care.
In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, you have up to two (2) years to file a medical negligence claim. This two (2) year clock begins to run when you discover, or should have reasonably discovered, that you suffered an injury as a direct result of the negligent medical treatment.
It is important to note that informed consent does not negate your right to a medical malpractice claim for negligent care.
Informed consent simply notifies the patient of the care to be provided and any known risks associated with treatment. Should the medical provider act in a negligent fashion when providing said care, you are within your rights to seek compensation.
How We Can Help
Our team of trial lawyers, investigators, and field experts will work together to build a strong and winnable case for you and your family. Everyone has unique situations and we take the time to really listen to the details of your case to fully understand the surrounding circumstances.
If you think that you or your loved one’s illness is the victim of negligent care, contact our medical malpractice lawyers today. We are aggressive and compassionate attorneys who will fight for the compensation you deserve. Our goal is to get the maximum compensation you deserve. We handle all medical malpractice cases on a contingency basis, which means we don’t get paid unless you get paid.