If you’ve ever needed to visit an emergency room for an injury or an escalating ailment, you’re putting your medical care in the hands of complete strangers. That is not always a bad thing.

The staff at an ER have been well-trained, and everyone works as a team to help every patient to either be treated and cleared for release or admitted for further treatment. It differs from your family physician. That is someone you might have been seeing for years and trust implicitly.

Unfortunately, in either scenario, you could find yourself the victim of an incident of medical malpractice. When that happens, it doesn’t matter what type of relationship you have had with the medical professional, you are entitled to seek a remedy for whatever harm they might have caused.

These are inherently complex cases that require a certificate of merit from an independent medical professional before you can even file a claim. The Jackson medical malpractice lawyers at Pittman Roberts & Welsh, PLLC, have helped many clients achieve fair compensation for their losses resulting from medical malpractice errors.

Do you think you might be the victim of a harmful error? Here are the warning signs that may indicate a doctor has committed malpractice.

Medical malpractice, when it occurs, often results in serious and lasting consequences for the victim. Whether it’s a misplaced object during surgery, a critical misdiagnosis, improper use of medical tools, or anything else, doctors and other medical professionals are expected to have the knowledge and training necessary to avoid these costly errors.

Lawsuits in the medical field are fairly common. According to the American Medical Association (AMA), nearly one in three doctors working today have been sued at some point in their careers. Much of this is due to the inherent risk associated with life-saving medicine. When someone is at the point of requiring a dangerous or risky procedure to survive, the odds of something going wrong or failing to effectively treat the problem dramatically increase. While it’s always devastating to lose a loved one, a difficult treatment failing to meet its lofty goals is not enough to win a medical malpractice claim.

Filing a medical malpractice claim is going to be complex. In addition to the challenges of proving your case, you are also dealing with the emotional trauma of suing a medical professional that you’ve put your trust in. While the malpractice incident might have caused you harm and discomfort, it also exacerbated a separate preexisting condition.

Can you file a medical malpractice claim with a preexisting condition?

Sometimes, a baby’s delivery does not go as planned. In these cases, you might hear of the terms “birth injuries” and “birth defects.” While these words are often used interchangeably, they are two separate medical conditions. Below, we’ll share what’s the difference between a birth injury and a birth defect so you can be more informed.

Unfortunately, one of these situations could have been prevented if the mother and baby had received proper medical care. However, due to the neglect of the health care providers, the child is left with serious medical conditions.

At Pittman, Roberts & Welsh, PLLC, many of our clients have experienced the heartbreak of dealing with the aftermath of medical mistakes that lead to their children suffering birth injuries.

You received a delayed diagnosis, underwent a medical procedure that didn’t go as planned, or otherwise fallen victim to some kind of health care provider negligence.

You realize that these oversights may allow you to take legal action to hold any responsible parties liable for what happened, but you may be unclear as to how long you have to file a medical malpractice claim in Mississippi. Keep reading, and we’ll let you know.

Over 250,000 deaths result from medical errors in the U.S. every year, putting medical malpractice among the top three causes of death in the nation.

Medical malpractice is an act, omission, or other form of negligence committed by a health care provider that causes injury to a patient. It is harm that results because a medical provider deviates from what another competent medical professional would have reasonably done in the same situation. This is referred to as breaching the standard of care, a standard that medical professionals are obligated by law to meet.

Going to a doctor and receiving unsatisfactory care does not automatically make you a victim of medical malpractice. To reach the legal standards of medical malpractice, an act or omission must meet certain criteria.

When we see doctors complaining of certain symptoms, we expect them to be able to take our medical history, a listing of current complaints, and perhaps run some additional testing to reach a diagnosis.

Of all the different types of personal injury lawsuits that can be filed in the United States, medical malpractice lawsuits are often considered the most complex. Their complexity comes from the fact that so many factors go into determining how medical care is provided as well as how it should be provided. Both elements are crucial for determining why a mistake occurs and if that mistake could have been avoided, and both elements can take a great deal of time to investigate.

That said, if you are in a situation where you believe you or a loved one has been harmed or has suffered due to the negligence of a medical professional or team of professionals, do not let this fact deter you from getting in touch with an attorney who may be able to help. Medical malpractice cases may be complex, but an experienced law firm like Pittman Roberts & Welsh, PLLC will not hesitate to fully investigate your claim and hold the negligent party accountable if they believe a lawsuit is warranted.

Individuals and families who have come away from an interaction with a medical professional worse—not better—than they were before seeking medical treatment are right to ask: What do you do if you suspect medical negligence? It’s not easy knowing what to do if you think you may be a victim of medical malpractice. The first step you take should be to contact a medical malpractice lawyer you trust. This is a highly complicated area of the law, and it’s best to seek experienced legal guidance before taking any matters into your own hands, even before contacting the doctor or hospital you suspect may have committed medical negligence.