At many points in our life we rely on the regular services of healthcare professionals, hoping that what is wrong with us will be made well through their medical expertise. However, healthcare professional make mistakes and those mistakes may be erroneous enough to lead to an injury. In the State of West Virginia, the great majority of doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals are individuals that care deeply for their patients and dedicate their lives to rendering the best medical care possible. Yet even the most well-meaning health professional can deliver substandard care which leads to injury or even death. If you believe your doctor, nurse or healthcare professional made a mistake in your medical care that led to further injury, contact the medical malpractice lawyers at Brewer & Giggenbach, Medical malpractice can be a complicated process, yet the lawyers at our firm are here to assist you with the facts of your case and ensuring you receive just compensation.
When to File Your Medical Malpractice Lawsuit
Any medical malpractice case has a time limit on how long you can pursue compensation for your damages. The statute of limitations for any medical malpractice case in West Virginia is two years after your medical injury or two years after you discovered your injury, whichever comes last. Therefore, contacting a lawyer as soon as you discover your injury is paramount to initiating your case against a negligent healthcare professional or entity.
Common Medical Malpractice Injuries
Each year, thousands of Americans are injured because a doctor or health professional failed to provide a reasonable standard of care to their patient. There are a variety of injuries that may occur due to a substandard of care by a healthcare professional and West Virginia laws are in place to be utilized so that an injured patient may be properly compensated after such an injury. There are a variety of injuries that may occur due to a doctor’s incompetence and below are just some examples of such possibilities,
Childbearing injuries involve the harm and damage to a child as a result of substandard care during a labor or birth. When a health care professional makes an unreasonable mistake during your birthing process, such as an unnecessary prolonged labor, the result to your infant may be disastrous and last a lifetime.
Severe birth defects such as cerebral palsy and Erb’s palsy are just a few of the potential effects that may result from a doctor’s negligence during your birth.
A failure to properly diagnose a serious illness is another typical medical malpractice case. When a doctor or health professional failed to properly diagnose your illness the harm you may experience may be great. You may have lost precious time in treating a potentially preventable illness, your illness may have developed further than needed, or you may need additional surgery to circumvent the unnecessary treatment already rendered. A timely diagnosis, saves lives and is an important aspect to your health. Failure to diagnose infections, cancers, or fractures are just a few examples of this aspect of medical malpractice.
Surgical errors may also lead to a medical malpractice case. Surgeons and healthcare professionals should provide a reasonable level of care during your surgery. Although surgery carries its inherent risks, some risks and injuries are preventable and caused by the negligence of the surgeon or improper use of surgical tools.
Other common medical malpractice cases are nursing home abuse and neglect cases, prescription error or overdoses with medications, or negligent emergency room care.
Contact a Lawyer
If you believe you or someone you know has been injured due to the negligence of a health care professional, contact a lawyer to begin the process of collecting the necessary proof in your case. We seek healthcare when we are in medical need and sometimes the substandard care administered may lead to further preventable injury. Medical malpractice lawsuits are a complex and intricate cases, therefore if you believe you were injured, contact the personal injury lawyers at Brewer & Giggenbach to navigate this process on your behalf so that you receive just compensation.