Similarly, an emergency room nurse might give you stitches if you cut your finger. Likewise, if you develop peculiar health symptoms, you should trust that a doctor will diagnose, treat, and cure you.
People rely on doctors, nurses, and other medical practitioners to care for them daily. But unfortunately, healthcare professionals sometimes make mistakes that can have long-lasting health consequences on their patients’ lives.
If you believe a medical error made you or your loved one sick or sicker, you might be eligible to collect financial compensation. A Newark medical malpractice lawyer could help you pursue a personal injury suit and hold the responsible party accountable for your injuries.
What is Medical Malpractice in Newark?
Malpractice occurs when a healthcare practitioner makes a careless mistake that injures their patient or worsens their condition.
Not Every Mistake is Malpractice
Not every medical error constitutes malpractice. For a medical mistake to be malpractice, a healthcare practitioner must administer care that does not meet reasonable standards. In other words, a provider must have performed differently than a doctor with a similar background and training in similar circumstances.
For example, a court might not consider an incident malpractice if an emergency room doctor quickly misdiagnoses an unconscious patient before rushing them into emergency surgery to save their life. However, if a plastic surgeon operates on the wrong body part of a patient, a court would consider the surgery a case of malpractice.
Not Every Bad Medical Outcome is Malpractice
Some patients’ bodies do not respond well to even the best medical care. For example, some people’s conditions worsen, and others die when in the care of a medical professional. Physicians cannot cure everybody, even when using the best available treatments. If a patient’s medical treatment has a negative outcome, it does not mean that their doctor committed malpractice. Unfortunately, modern medicine does not cure everybody. Even the best treatments have side effects. As long as that was explained to a patient before the treatment is undertaken, that’s not malpractice.
A seasoned local attorney could review a person’s medical records and speak with medical experts to determine if a healthcare practitioner acted reasonably when caring for a patient.
Examples of Malpractice in Newark
Malpractice can occur in many scenarios. Common examples of medical mistakes include:
- Birth injuries
- Failure to treat
- Anesthesia mistakes
- Misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis
- Surgical errors, including mistakes made before and after surgery
- Medication errors that occur when a healthcare professional provides a person with the incorrect medicine or the wrong dosage
Malpractice may also occur in several medical settings, such as hospitals, pharmacies, doctor’s offices, birthing centers, and nursing homes. A knowledgeable local attorney could investigate a medical error and identify who is responsible for it. A legal representative could also help an injured person pursue a legal claim against a primary care physician, obstetrician, hospital, surgeon, pharmacist, EMT, chiropractor, physical therapist, psychologist, dentist, or another healthcare professional who contributed to their harm.
Reach Out to a Newark Medical Malpractice Attorney Today
If a doctor caused your suffering, you may deserve compensation. However, convincing a jury that a healthcare provider committed malpractice can be complicated. Juries often side with trusted doctors, but a Newark medical malpractice lawyer could help get you the positive outcome you deserve.
A dedicated attorney could investigate your injury and help you prove your case. Contact our firm as soon as possible to explore your legal options and begin your legal recovery.
