Marietta Medical Malpractice Lawyer
Every visit to a doctor, hospital, or dentist should result in competent medical care and also in peace of mind for the patient receiving treatment. To that end, it is reasonable to expect that medical professionals will perform their jobs with a certain degree of competence and care. If the care you receive falls below the acceptable standard, that medical provider may have committed medical malpractice.
Malpractice can have a devastating effect on a patient’s life. This can range from unnecessary pain and suffering to additional time in the hospital, to a loss of quality of life or even death. No matter how serious their injury, patients injured by negligent health care providers have the right to seek compensation to make them whole again.
A Marietta medical malpractice lawyer could lead the way in holding negligent medical providers responsible for their actions. Your seasoned personal injury attorney could work to investigate the allegations, consult with medical experts, and file a lawsuit on your behalf that demand all appropriate compensation in Georgia’s courts.
When Poor Care Becomes Malpractice
It is important to realize that not every negative result that occurs in a doctor’s care constitutes legal malpractice. There are certain injuries, conditions, and diseases that are beyond the skills of even the world’s best physicians to heal or treat.
However, results that fall below the acceptable standard of care for the field that a doctor practices in are never acceptable. In general, healthcare providers should reasonably be expected to diagnose conditions, provide preventative care, treat common maladies, and refer patients to experts when necessary. A failure to achieve any of these goals may constitute malpractice.
Georgia specifically defines what counts as malpractice under O.C.G.A. §51-1-27, which states that all medical providers have a legal duty to perform their jobs with a reasonable degree of skill and care. The statute also affirms that any failure to do so may be grounds for a potential medical malpractice lawsuit.
Proving Medical Malpractice in Court
It is one thing to believe that poor care exacerbated a condition or created a new health problem, but it is another thing entirely to prove it. It does an injured patient in Marietta no good to testify at trial about how the doctor made a mistake. Instead, they need to consult with medical experts about the scientific basis for their accusation.
This expert can testify at trial about how the mistake led to the injury and how the injury may impact the quality of life of the patient moving forward. In fact, consulting with an expert is required by Georgia law—O.C.G.A. §9-11-9.1 places the burden on injured patients seeking to pursue medical malpractice claims to work with a medical expert before filing their case in court.
The statute further states that the expert must review the case in question and author an affidavit that explains the departure from the standard of care and that it injured the plaintiff. This affidavit must accompany the plaintiff’s complaint when filed in civil court. A Marietta medical malpractice lawyer could help a person find and work with experts who could testify about their case in court.
Speaking with a Marietta Medical Malpractice Attorney
Doctors receive years’ of training before they are allowed to see their first patient and are also required to keep up with current advances in medical science. Despite this, they are still prone to make mistakes sometimes that can have devastating effects on the lives of their patients.
A Marietta medical malpractice lawyer could help people who have suffered injuries due to a healthcare provider’s error to demand compensation. They could work with experts in the medical field to investigate the accusation, conduct medical research, and file suit effectively and efficiently in Georgia’s courts. No one should have to live with the consequences of a doctor error, so let a local attorney help you recover damages for yours. Call today to get started.
