Medical Malpractice Lawyer Fort Lauderdale, FL
If you are the victim of medical malpractice, you may be feeling confused and angry. When something ails us or injures us, we trust that the doctors we go to will know exactly the right medications, treatments, surgeries, and options for our condition so that we can heal and get back to our everyday lives. However, doctors can make mistakes in using the wrong tools to deliver a baby, giving the wrong doses of medication, and perform the wrong type of surgery. When this happens, people often claim this is medical malpractice. If you have been the victim of a doctor’s medical malpractice and are left with more questions than answers, read below for a list of our frequently asked questions to get you started on your journey to recovery.
What Is Medical Malpractice?
If your treating health care professional does not give you the right treatment, gives you some form of substandard treatment, or does not act in the right way regarding your condition, thus resulting in some type of injury or death, this is medical malpractice.
Who Do I Sue For My Doctor’s Medical Malpractice?
Your first thought may be to sue the hospital after your doctor’s medical malpractice, but typically the hospital will not be responsible for your injuries. In many cases, a doctor might be an independent contractor, and in this case, you will need to sue the doctor directly instead of going through the hospital.
Can I Sue the Hospital If My Nurse Committed Malpractice?
There are many instances where a nurse is the one who commits medical malpractice, not a doctor. Like any other medical professional, this happens when the nurse does not fulfill his or her duties in a way that any other competent, responsible nurse would do and the results are an injured patient. If a nurse injured you during your stay in a hospital due to negligence, you can likely sue the hospital if:
- He or she was an employee at the hospital.
- The nurse was working and on-the-job fulfilling a duty while attending to the patient’s needs.
In some instances, an attending doctor might be responsible for the nurse on-staff at the time and it is possible to sue the doctor in these circumstances.
What Kind Of Damages Can I Recover In a Medical Malpractice Lawsuit?
If medical malpractice results in injuries, you could sue for:
- Special Damages. An insurance company can often easily quantify special damages. These are the medical bills associated with your personal injuries and any type of reimbursement for your lost income during recovery.
- General Damages. This is not as easily quantifiable, and it is typically compensation you receive for pain and suffering or loss of enjoyment of life.
- Punitive Damages. These types of damages are less common, but they are awarded to punish the hospital or the doctor/nurse if the medical malpractice involved particularly egregious acts.
More Questions
If you have any further questions regarding medical malpractice, speak with a medical malpractice lawyer Fort Lauderdale, FL offers at Needle & Ellenberg, P.A. who can help you with your malpractice lawsuit. They would like to help you on your road to recovery.