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Four Elements of a Medical Malpractice Case

Physicians worry about malpractice lawsuits as real threats. They drive up physician insurance costs and could alter medical practice.

In general doctors owe their patients the obligation to follow accepted medical practices without deviation or omission. This is referred to as the standard of care.

To sue a physician over malpractice, a patient must prove the following elements with a preponderance: duty, breach of duty, causation and damages.

Duty of Care

The first aspect of a medical malpractice claim is that the person who was injured was legally obligated by the doctor that was breached. Contrary to other types of negligence cases, medical malpractice claims often require a physician-patient relationship, which can be established through things such as doctor's medical records and telephone consultations. In general, doctors who treat patients must follow the standards that are accepted in their profession and practice.

Doctors could also be held liable for the negligence or incompetence of their staff members, including assistants and interns. Additionally, they can be held accountable for the actions of emergency medical personnel who are working under their supervision.

The next thing a plaintiff needs to establish is that the defendant failed to satisfy the standard of medical care in the specific circumstances. This can be proved by expert testimony regarding acceptable medical practices and the defendant's failure to comply with these guidelines. The second aspect is that the breach directly hurts the patient. To prove this your lawyer must demonstrate the direct causality and impact between the defendant's omission of duty and your injury, or your loved one's death. This concept is known as causal proximate. For instance, if the alleged negligent act was not able to have an adverse impact on your health, irrespective of whether or not it was performed by a physician, you will not be able win damages for any injuries, or wrongful death, that you believe was caused by the behavior of the doctor.

Breach of Duty

A physician who fails in their duty of care towards clients can be held responsible for negligence. In order to prevail in a medical malpractice case, the victim must prove four legal elements that a duty of professional care was breached and the doctor breached this duty; the breach caused injury; and the injury was a cause of damages. The first part of a medical malpractice claim centers around the standard of care that is determined by experts' testimony. The standard of care is the amount a "reasonably prudent" doctor would do in similar or similar circumstances.

A doctor is in violation of this obligation when he or she strays from the normal care of the patient. If a physician breaks the arm of a patient, he or she may fail to cast the arm correctly. A doctor's error can cause the injured arm to heal incorrectly. This can result in the loss of use, either in whole or in part of usage, and also financial damages.

Medical malpractice cases are filed in state trial courts. However, in certain circumstances federal courts may be able to hear these cases. Each of the 94 federal district courts in the United States has a judge-jury panel that will hear medical malpractice cases. A majority of states have state courts that are specialized to handle these cases, though they follow different rules for court procedure than federal district courts.

Causation

A patient could be entitled compensation for the damages caused if medical malpractice lawsuit professionals fail to perform their obligation to prevent harm. A medical malpractice claim may be brought up when a doctor decides to perform a procedure that carries known risks, and the patient would not have opted out of the procedure had they been fully informed of all possible consequences.

The plaintiff in a medical malpractice case must prove that the medical professional did not adhere to accepted standards of practice, that the failure was the primary cause of the injury or illness the patient suffered and that the harm could not have occurred except because of the negligence of a physician. The burden of proof, medical referred to as "preponderance" of evidence, is less arduous than "beyond reasonable doubt" required to convict criminal defendants.

Lawsuits alleging medical malpractice often involve expert witnesses and lengthy pretrial discovery proceedings. In the event that the case settles or goes to trial, lawyers on both sides have to spend substantial time and resources in preparation for the issue. This is the primary reason why malpractice claims are costly for both the plaintiff and the medical professional involved, and it is one of the main reasons that health care professionals and physicians organizations support efforts to reform tort law in the United States.

Damages

Depending on the type of medical negligence, the victims can seek compensatory or punitive damages. Compensatory damages compensate patients for financial losses and expenses caused by the negligence of a physician which includes loss of income or the cost of future medical care. Non-economic damages include reimbursement for physical and mental anxiety.

Medical malpractice claims are generally filed in a state trial court. However, there are some instances in which a lawsuit may be filed in federal court. It is usually the case when the doctor is employed by a federally-funded medical clinic like the Veteran's administration, or when the doctor is a resident of other country, but practices in the United States as part of a treaty with extraterritorial authority.

Lawsuits alleging medical malpractice are usually adversarial and involve large amounts of legal discovery. This includes written interrogatories, depositions, as well as requests for documents. Victims of alleged medical malpractice will also have to bear the pressure of the jury trial, and possibly face the threat of being rejected by a judge, or dismissed by the jury.

To win a medical malpractice claim, you must prove that the medical malpractice law firm negligence or error caused your injury. The injury must be serious enough to warrant a financial payment that will compensate you for your financial losses and emotional stress. Furthermore, New York medical malpractice laws have certain damages caps and other limitations on the amount that can be awarded to a patient who is successful in filing a claim.

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