Pennsylvania
Cerebral Palsy Attorneys
Medical
errors committed by hospitals and healthcare professionals can have
devastating results for those unfortunate enough to fall victim
to them. It is estimated that medical errors, mistakes, and misdiagnoses
play a significant role in the deaths of over 75,000 Americans each
year. Recent studies have estimated that of all misdiagnoses, nearly
1 in 3 results in the death of the victim. It is unsettling then
to imagine how often medical errors cause less severe hardships
and suffering for healthcare recipients. Cerebral
Palsy Lawyers- click here!
Our
medical malpractice website is intended to provide important information
on many aspects of medical malpractice issues. Topics include the
basics of medical malpractice cases, examples of cases, steps to
preventing medical errors, and useful links. As healthcare consumers,
we have the right to the best quality of care available. By keeping
healthcare professionals accountable for their errors helps all
of us to receive high quality care.
Cerebral Palsy Lawyers- click
here!
Basics
of Medical Malpractice Cases
Medical
malpractice occurs when hospitals or healthcare professionals cause
the death or injury to patients by providing care that is not within
the standard of care. Truth be told, medical malpractice cases are
often difficult to win. Many people mistakenly believe that if something
goes wrong during a stay in the hospital, the hospital or health
care professional is automatically liable for the results. To establish
whether a hospital or health care provider is liable for injury
or death, it has to be determined that the health care provider
was negligent with regard to the standard of care. If they are negligent,
the negligence has to be the legal cause of the injuries. Medical
malpractice cases are determined by three step-by-step factors:
determining the standard of care, establishing that there was a
breach of this standard of care, and deciding if this breach was
responsible for resulting death or injury.
Standard
of Care
A standard
of care is the reasonable level of care that a patient can expect
during their stay in a hospital. It is the duty of all hospitals
and healthcare personnel to provide this standard of care to visiting
patients. It is the duty of the hospital and all personnel to provide
a reasonable level of care to patients.
Expert
witnesses who specialize in the particular area of medicine involved
must establish what the standard of care is for the average patient.
They then must state that, in their opinion, this standard of care
was not followed in this particular instance. They must state this
to, or within, a reasonable degree of medical certainty.
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