Every experienced and properly educated physician is expected to provide quality care to every patient. Unfortunately, not every doctor in Georgia meets this basic standard of care. If a medical professional was negligent while treating you and directly caused you to suffer harm, you could get help from a skilled personal injury attorney to determine if you may have a viable case.
Filing suit over medical negligence can be more complicated as compared to other personal injury claims. You should seek support from an Athens medical malpractice lawyer with past experience in holding medical caregivers or institutions accountable. Call the attorneys at Childers, Schlueter & Smith as they may be able to assist you.
Establishing Grounds for an Athens Malpractice Claim
Doctors play such a crucial role in modern society, and Georgia state law does not hold them to the same negligence standard as other professionals. If someone wants to hold a doctor liable for harming them, they must prove that the doctor violated a “standard of care” that an equally qualified professional in the same circumstances would have demonstrated. This might mean that they failed to diagnose a serious condition, operated on the wrong body part, made a misdiagnosis, gave inaccurate diagnostic readings, provided inappropriate postoperative care, or was negligent during childbirth, and many others.
An Athens medical malpractice attorney can assist a claimant in determining how the standard of care was violated.
Are There Caps on Medical Malpractice Damages?
The Georgia Supreme Court ruled in 2010 that the state law that capped medical malpractice damages was unconstitutional. It is now possible to recover for the full value of all economic and non-economic losses caused by the misconduct of a physician, nurse, surgeon, pharmacist, or other individual or entity. Specific damages that are often included in a medical negligence claim include:
- Costs of additional medical care made necessary by malpractice
- Lost work income and/or future earning ability
- Physical pain and suffering
- Emotional/psychological distress
- Lost enjoyment of life
If medical negligence leads to someone prematurely passing away, a compassionate Athens lawyer can assist surviving family members with pursuing compensation for their own losses, funeral costs, and possibly, lost future financial support and lost emotional care and companionship.
Speak with an Athens Medical Malpractice Attorney About Your Legal Options
Whether you are visiting your primary care physician for a checkup or going to a hospital for help with a medical emergency, you should be able to trust that the people caring for you will act with competence. Any doctor, nurse, technician, or specialist who allows you to suffer preventable harm by failing to follow the basic standard of care could be held liable for your injuries.
When building a case for compensation, it is important to have an Athens medical malpractice lawyer on your side. Give us a call for a free consultation.
