Medical Malpractice

The often-repeated goal of the modern physician is simple — “do no harm.” However, physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners and medical staff often make mistakes that have grave consequences. Many health care providers are overworked and many facilities are either understaffed or have insufficient resources to care for patients. Medical malpractice can range from a minor incident that is corrected swiftly to a major problem leading to death, disability or long-term injury.

A victim of medical malpractice is entitled to compensation for medical expenses, lost earnings and pain and suffering. In the tragic circumstance of a wrongful death, the beneficiaries may be entitled to grief damages. These cases, no matter how clear they may seem to a layperson, are hard fought battles between medical experts. Legal action is often necessary to obtain appropriate compensation for the costs, losses and suffering.

If you or a family member have incurred additional medical expenses, extended hospitalization or other negative consequences as a result of a health care provider’s negligence, contact Shulman Rogers. Our experienced medical malpractice attorneys can provide a free case evaluation regarding the potential merits of your case.

Types of Medical Malpractice

We handle a wide variety of medical negligence cases, including but not limited to:

• Medication and Surgical Errors involve major errors in judgment or recklessness on the part of a supervising physician. Examples include anesthesia errors which can cause devastating consequences; prescribing a contraindicated medication known to cause an adverse reaction to a patient; prescribing the incorrect medication, or the incorrect dosage of a medication; causing harm to unrelated structures or organs during surgery; leaving a surgical tool inside a patient, performing an unnecessary procedure or even performing the wrong procedure.
• Misdiagnosis and Delay in Diagnosis involve mistakes or oversights due to carelessness or a lack of due diligence, such as failing to order a full complement of tests, or not referring a patient to a specialist for the appropriate consult or to another facility that can provide more comprehensive testing and care. Other examples include failure to recognize test results, misreading test results or imaging studies and failing to act or follow-up on a patient’s ongoing symptoms. These cases can involve red flags in blood work, mammograms, ultrasound and imaging studies and result in delays in the diagnosis of cancer, infections and other conditions.
• Child and birth injuries: When an innocent child is injured, he or she deserves the best medical care possible. These cases often involve delays in the delivery of the baby when there are warning signs during the labor, mismanagement of the labor, negligently performed deliveries and negligent aftercare of the infant. These medical mistakes can cause deprivation of oxygen to the baby’s brain, and can lead to conditions such as hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), cerebral palsy (CP), quadriplegia, paraplegia, epilepsy/seizures and developmental delays.

Birth injury cases are expert-intensive cases with complicated medicine as well as complex damages and economics. The appropriate experts in numerous specialties need to be engaged to properly prepare the case with medical support and economic analysis.

Our goal is to recover all damages, with special emphasis on a comprehensive life care plan to pay for the child’s needs for the remainder of his or her life.  Shulman Rogers is sensitive to the needs of parents during this stressful time, and we will work to get you and your child the settlement you need to heal properly.

• Faulty equipment or improper hospital procedures can also form the basis of a medical malpractice lawsuit. For example, if a negligently maintained device fails during a procedure, or if a facility fails to maintain a sterile environment and the patient contracts a bacterial infection during inpatient care, you may be able to sue for damages.

Why File a Medical Malpractice Lawsuit?

Most of us have respect and sympathy for medical professionals, especially those who go out of their way to provide a high level of care. It’s important to remember that filing a malpractice lawsuit is not about punishing the doctor responsible — it’s about ensuring you have the resources necessary to move on without jeopardizing your health or livelihood.

Your insurance company may cover some of the additional expenses incurred when a routine hospital visit goes wrong, but too often patients are stuck bearing the brunt of others’ mistakes. Meeting with a medical malpractice lawyer is the first step in getting a clearer picture of your options and protecting your interests in the long run. Not all medical mistakes are meritorious or cost-beneficial under our legal system, so a review of the potential case is necessary to make an informed decision.

A medical malpractice lawsuit is also an effective way to draw attention to service gaps and unsafe conditions in your local healthcare system.  Risk managers and in-house legal departments often take note of identified deficiencies and correct them to avoid future harm and liability.  If you want to ensure others don’t suffer as you did, making a claim or filing a public lawsuit is often the best way to influence positive change at the organizational level to protect future patients.

Contact Shulman Rogers for Your Free Consultation

Whatever the specifics of your case and your reasons for pursuing legal action, Shulman Rogers will treat you with respect and compassion every step of the way. Our medical malpractice lawyers serve clients throughout Maryland, D.C., Virginia and across the United States. Schedule your consultation with our team by calling or emailing our office today.