Whenever someone gets injured or falls sick, they usually seek help from healthcare professionals such as physicians, nurses, surgeons, dentists, specialists, pharmacists, and other healthcare providers. When they seek help from these medical professionals, they typically don’t anticipate leaving their care feeling worse than they did before. When these medical professionals fail to fulfill their legal duty of care towards their patients, it can result in significant harm and various damages. If you are the victim of medical malpractice, contact our seasoned Washington D.C. Medical Malpractice Lawyers, who can help you navigate your legal options and fight to secure the fair compensation you deserve. Please continue reading to learn when a healthcare provider can be held liable for malpractice.
Can a healthcare provider be held liable for my damages if I was injured during treatment?
In the District of Columbia, you are entitled to file a medical malpractice lawsuit against a healthcare provider to recover compensation for your losses if you suffered an injury while receiving treatment. However, you will be required to fulfill the burden of proof. To satisfy the burden of proof, you must prove the following:
- The healthcare professional owed you a standard duty of care. You can prove this by demonstrating that you had an established doctor-patient relationship and they provided you with their services.
- The healthcare professional breached the standard duty of care. To demonstrate this, you need to prove that the medical care you received did not meet the expected standard of care.
- The healthcare professional’s breach of duty of care directly caused you to suffer your injuries. To demonstrate this, you must show that the healthcare professional deviated from the traditionally accepted course of treatment, resulting in your injuries. Essentially, you must prove that your injuries would not have occurred if they had followed the standard method.
Satisfying the burden of proof can be challenging as you’ll need significant evidence to prove their negligence directly caused your injuries and damages. However, an adept Washington, D.C., medical malpractice lawyer can help you collect pertinent evidence that can help you fulfill the burden of proof and maximize your chances of recovering monetary compensation for your losses.
What are some common types of malpractice?
Unfortunately, several injuries can arise due to the negligence of a healthcare provider. However, malpractice injuries often occur due to a failure to diagnose and an improper course of treatment. Nonetheless, the following include but are not limited to errors that can lead to medical malpractice claims:
- Surgical errors
- Anesthesia errors
- Medication errors
- Failure to warn a patient about known risks of a procedure or treatment
- Wrongful death
When medical professionals make a mistake, it can be life or death. If you have been injured or become ill due to a healthcare provider’s negligence, contact a determined lawyer from the legal team at Trombly & Singer, PLLC, as soon as possible. Our firm is committed to helping our clients hold responsible parties accountable for their negligence and fight for the rightful compensation they are entitled to.
