Duluth Medical Malpractice Lawyer

Medical Malpractice Attorney in Duluth, GA

Whether you visit Northside Hospital or any other medical treatment center in the area, you have the reasonable expectation to receive safe and effective treatment for your injury or illness. Unfortunately, thousands of people in Georgia and across the United States suffer severe injuries due to negligent medical care. If this has happened to you or a family member, you need to speak with a Duluth medical malpractice lawyer right away.

Representing Victims of Medical Malpractice in Duluth, GA

A Duluth personal injury lawyer can help you approach a medical malpractice case with confidence. The attorneys at Barnes Law Group provide compassionate legal representation in the most challenging injury cases. Led by former Georgia Gov. Roy Barnes, one of the most accomplished trial attorneys in the United States, our team is confident we can provide an unmatched level of representation for your medical malpractice case in Duluth, GA.

In every case we accept, we take time to learn as much as possible about our client, their injury, and the effect the injury has had on their life. We believe in client-focused legal representation in everything we do, and we know how to help you overcome the various challenges you are likely to encounter in your medical malpractice case.

Time is a crucial factor to consider with any kind of personal injury case in Georgia, but it is especially important for medical malpractice cases. There are certain prerequisites you must meet before filing your claim with the court, and it can take time to accurately assess the full scope of the effects you have experienced due to the defendant’s actions. Therefore, it is crucial that you hire a medical malpractice lawyer you trust at your first opportunity.

Understanding Medical Malpractice

It is important to know the specific definition of medical malpractice to succeed with your case. Medical malpractice occurs whenever any healthcare professional’s negligence results in harm to their patient. Every patient must receive a certain standard of care for their diagnosis, and failure to meet this standard of care could potentially result in serious harm and constitute medical malpractice.

Many types of harm from medical professional negligence can occur unexpectedly and have life-changing effects on the victim. In fact, a study by Johns Hopkins University concluded that medical errors may account for more than 250,000 deaths and many more nonfatal injuries each year in the United States.

Some commonly cited forms of medical malpractice in Georgia include:

• Failure to Diagnose: Any doctor who diagnoses their patient must do so using an appropriate differential diagnosis procedure, determining the exact nature of their patient’s condition by a process of elimination. Failure to provide a timely and/or accurate diagnosis may expose the patient to treatments that are ineffective and do not help their actual condition, but may also cause harm. Their condition may also worsen to a critical level.
• Medication Errors: It’s possible for a medical malpractice case to arise when a doctor prescribes the wrong medication, the wrong dosage, or fails to account for patient drug allergies or harmful interactions with current medications. It’s also possible for a pharmacist to face liability for incorrectly filling out a patient’s prescription.
• Birth Injuries: Any type of negligence before or during a childbirth procedure can potentially cause lifelong complications to the newborn and/or harm the mother. This type of case can arise from the failure to properly monitor the patient’s vital signs, failure to use surgical tools correctly, or excessive force during delivery.
• Emergency Room Errors: The emergency room is the busiest area of any hospital, and all emergency room staff members are required to address patients swiftly, focusing on those with the most serious injuries. Medical malpractice cases arise when emergency room staff members fail to discern that a patient is in critical condition and needs immediate treatment, or if there are any other negligent errors that result in patient harm. In many emergency medicine cases, it is necessary to not only prove the provider was negligent, but also that they acted with gross negligence.
• Surgical Errors: Surgery is inherently risky, but negligence during any type of surgical procedure can have devastating effects. Operating on the wrong body part, causing traumatic internal injury due to incompetently performed surgery, or leaving surgical tools or materials inside a patient’s body are just a few ways these cases may arise.

These are just a few examples of commonly filed medical malpractice cases in Georgia. If you are unsure whether you have grounds to file a medical malpractice case, it is crucial that you hire a medical malpractice lawyer right away so they can assist you with building your case. They can also guide you through the preliminary requirements of filing the case, such as obtaining an affidavit of an expert from a qualified medical professional to support the claim.

An affidavit of an expert is a written statement prepared by a medical expert who holds appropriate qualifications. This expert must explain how the defendant violated the standard of care, how they caused the plaintiff’s injury, and what a reasonably skilled medical professional would have likely done differently in the same situation. The plaintiff must submit this affidavit with their initial complaint when filing a medical malpractice lawsuit.

The complaint must include a complete and accurate list of all of the damages the plaintiff believes they have suffered due to the defendant’s actions. In any personal injury case, the plaintiff will need to establish causation between the defendant’s actions and their claimed damages. In other words, the plaintiff must prove that their claimed damages were caused entirely due to the defendant’s actions and did not occur from any other cause.

Claiming Compensation for Medical Malpractice in Duluth

The objective of any personal injury case in Georgia is to recover compensation for the damages suffered by the injured party by proving liability for those damages. It’s possible for the victim of medical malpractice in Duluth to recover compensation for their damages, both economic and non-economic, if they hire a medical malpractice lawyer to assist with their case.

Economic damages in a medical malpractice case include any financial losses suffered by the plaintiff due to the defendant’s actions. These typically include medical expenses for treating the effects of the malpractice and lost wages if the plaintiff cannot work for an extended time because of their injuries. Additionally, the plaintiff can also seek recompense for related medical costs and for lost earning ability if they have been permanently disabled.

Non-economic damages are more subjective and can include pain as well as emotional suffering, and mental trauma resulting from the defendant’s actions.

Your Duluth medical malpractice lawyer at Barnes Law Group can accurately calculate the full scope of the economic damages you are eligible to claim from the defendant, and our team will help you maximize the compensation you obtain for your pain and suffering. Additionally, some plaintiffs can receive punitive damages at the court’s discretion.

What to Expect From Your Duluth Medical Malpractice Lawyer?

When you choose Barnes Law Group to represent you in a medical malpractice case, we can thoroughly examine the details of your injury to determine the full extent of your legal options. Filing a medical malpractice case can be daunting, but the reality is that you have a much better chance of success with your case with the right attorney representing you.

Our firm can gather the evidence you need to prove liability, and you can rely on us to coordinate the expert witness testimony you will need for your affidavit of merit. We can carefully calculate all of the economic damages you are eligible to claim, including projected future medical treatment costs and lost earning power if the injury caused permanent harm. We can also seek maximum pain and suffering compensation for you.

Ultimately, any form of medical malpractice can have traumatic and life-changing effects. Whether you have been injured or you are seeking accountability for a loved one’s injury, the attorneys at Barnes Law Group are ready to assist with all aspects of your case. You have limited time to file a medical malpractice case in Georgia, so reach out to our team today and learn how we can assist with your recovery.

FAQs About Medical Malpractice in Duluth, GA

How Do You Win a Medical Malpractice Case in Duluth?

Winning a medical malpractice case in Duluth requires proving that the defendant harmed the plaintiff due to negligence during medical treatment and caused actual harm. The plaintiff must also meet strict procedural requirements for filing this claim, and they must file it on time and with complete supporting information. If you hire a medical malpractice lawyer to handle your case, you have a greater chance of success.

How Much Is a Medical Malpractice Case Worth in Duluth?

The value of a medical malpractice case in Duluth depends on the severity of the victim’s injury, whether they suffered long-term or permanent harm, and other details of the case. An injured plaintiff could recover recompense for their economic and non-economic damages, and Georgia no longer caps non-economic damages in medical malpractice cases. Your lawyer can determine the potential value of your case.

Why Should I Hire a Medical Malpractice Lawyer?

You should hire a medical malpractice lawyer because these are some of the most inherently complicated personal injury cases anyone can face. Hiring experienced legal counsel will significantly improve your chances of success, and you will be prepared to resolve any unexpected disputes or other complications that arise as the case unfolds. You are also more likely to maximize your compensation with an attorney representing you.

How Much Time Does It Take to Reach a Settlement in a Duluth Medical Malpractice Case?

The time required to settle a medical malpractice case in Duluth depends on the specific details of the case. Often, these cases take many months or years to reach resolution.

What Does It Cost to Hire a Duluth Medical Malpractice Lawyer?

The attorneys at Barnes Law Group do not charge hourly attorneys’ fees for these cases. Instead, we take medical malpractice cases on contingency. This ensures that our client is charged a fee only after the case is won. If we cannot obtain recompense for you, no fee will be charged.

Contact Our Injury Law Firm

The team at Barnes Law Group can offer you responsive and compassionate legal representation when you need it most after suffering an injury due to a medical professional’s negligence. You have a short time in which to file your case, and there are many procedural requirements you must fulfill to file it correctly. Contact us today and schedule a free consultation with a Duluth medical malpractice lawyer you trust with your case.