Erie Medical Malpractice Attorneys
We trust our doctors and healthcare providers with our lives. From standard checkups to life-saving surgical procedures, there are many tasks we leave to the hands of certified professionals in Pennsylvania. All patients have a right to expect medical care from professionals at all times. A breach of duty – no matter how small – can mean life or death in a hospital. If you believe you or a loved one has suffered because of medical negligence, talk to our Erie medical malpractice lawyers at Dallas W. Hartman P.C. for a free case evaluation.
Why Hire Our Erie Medical Negligence Attorneys
If you don’t see your complaint on this list, contact our firm. We are happy to discuss the details of your specific claim during a complimentary, no-obligation consultation. We’ll evaluate your situation and let you know if we believe you have grounds for a malpractice suit against a medical provider, hospital, or another party. It’s our job to help people like you fight for justice in medical negligence-related injuries or wrongful death. Medical Malpractice Laws in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania medical malpractice laws give injured parties two years after the date of injury to file a claim. If you don’t discover your injury until later (for example, if a surgeon leaves a cotton ball inside of you and it causes an infection six months later), the clock doesn’t start ticking until the date of discovery. No one can bring a hospital negligence claim later than seven years from the date the injury occurred, except in cases involving foreign objects left inside the body. If medical malpractice causes wrongful death, a party has two years from the date of death to file.
How Do You Prove Medical Malpractice?
To have a successful medical malpractice suit, one must fulfill several state-specific requirements regarding expert witness testimony. During the initial filing, the claimant must have a signed certificate of merit from an Erie malpractice attorney that states there is a “reasonable probability the defendant breached the standard of care.” During the trial, Pennsylvania law requires expert medical witness testimony to establish negligence. An Erie medical malpractice attorney can help with both of these requirements.
Types of Medical Malpractice
Any action or failure to act that falls outside of the accepted standards of care in the medical care industry, resulting in patient harm, can qualify as medical negligence. There are a few types of malpractice that occur more than others. In our almost 30 years of experience practicing Erie personal injury law in Erie County, our medical malpractice lawyers seen the following types of malpractice arise most often:
- Diagnosis errors. Delayed diagnosis, misdiagnosis, and failure to diagnose are all medical malpractice if a “reasonable and prudent” physician would have properly diagnosed the condition in the same circumstances.
- Medication mistakes. If your harms stem from taking the wrong medication or incorrect dosage, you could have a claim against the prescribing doctor, administering nurse, or the pharmacy.
- Surgical errors. Surgeons and support staff can make critical errors during operations, including nicking arteries and nerves, anesthesia errors, and leaving foreign objects inside body cavities.
- Incompetent care. Sometimes injuries, illnesses, and infections arise from inadequate or negligent medical care. Hospital negligence, bedsores, malnutrition, and poor post-operative care are all examples of this type of malpractice.
- Birth injuries. Injuries during labor and delivery can include shoulder dystocia, fractured bones, nerve damage, cerebral palsy, Erb’s palsy, and infections. Injuries to mother and child can happen because of negligent doctors.
Consult with an Erie Medical Malpractice Attorney
For 30 years, our law firm and our team of medical malpractice lawyers have represented medical malpractice victims who were injured due to negligence. If you have been a victim of a hospital or surgical error, call our firm for an initial consultation. Dallas Hartman has all the right resources necessary to handle all medical malpractice cases. Don’t wait! Speak to a legal professional in Erie County, Pennsylvania today to begin your case.
Call us at (814) 461-8844 or toll-free at (800) 777-4081 for more information today!