All healthcare providers have a duty under the law to practice their craft with a certain level of skill and competence. Most individuals trust that when visiting their doctor, dentist, or other medical professionals, they will be taken care of and not undergo unnecessary harm. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. If you sustained injury or illness due to a direct breach in the standard of care, you might be able to pursue compensation with the help of a diligent personal injury attorney.
Contact Whetstone Perkins & Fulda today to schedule a consultation to find out how a Kingstree medical malpractice lawyer could help you.
What is Considered Malpractice?
While it can be tempting to think of any negative result after visiting a doctor as medical malpractice, the concept has a strict legal definition. Pursuant to South Carolina Code § 15-79-110(6), medical negligence occurs when a provider acts in a way that a reasonably skilled peer would not have given the circumstances. This could include injuries, illness, or death resulting from scenarios such as:
- A failed or delayed diagnosis
- A botched procedure
- The prescribing of improper or dangerous medications
- An inability to correctly interpret test results
- Birth injuries
- Retained surgical items
The patients who suffer due to medical malpractice cannot win their cases on their own. In almost every example, a patient is not qualified to testify how an at-fault party committed malpractice. Instead, hiring an adept Kingstree medical negligence attorney with the skills and experience needed to form a strong claim is advisable. In addition to helping individuals better understand the concept of malpractice, they can also seek out knowledgeable medical professionals to provide testimony regarding whether a health care provider acted reasonably.
Pursuing Fair Compensation After Medical Negligence
An instance of medical malpractice can profoundly impact a patient’s physical health and well-being. A botched procedure may force a person to undergo corrective surgery or re-experience the trauma connected to the initial event. In addition, a delayed diagnosis could cause a disease or condition to worsen prior to the receipt of effective treatment. These events can also be psychologically devastating and might make a patient hesitate to visit a provider in the future or suffer from nightmares, flashbacks, and other forms of PTSD connected to the incident.
The at-fault party who commits malpractice must provide compensation for the costs of all additional medical care as well as mental and emotional damage such as pain and suffering and loss of enjoyment of life. A proactive attorney in Kingstree with experience handling healthcare negligence cases could also help injured patients recover damages for lost wages. This could be especially important if time had to be missed while recovering or receiving further medical treatment.
Reach Out to a Kingstree Medical Malpractice Attorney for Help Pursuing Compensation
Instances of medical negligence are serious matters that have the potential to impact every part of your life. This may include needing to seek out additional medical care, experiencing emotional traumas, and mounting debt from losing time at work. A healthcare provider who breaches the standard of care should provide full compensation for these losses.
A well-trained Kingstree medical malpractice lawyer is ready to help. They can explain the legal definition of malpractice, explore the details of your incident, hire experts to help prove your case in court, and demand full compensation to cover your losses. Speak with the team at Whetstone Perkins & Fulda today to schedule an initial consultation.
