Medical Malpractice Accidents and Surgical Errors: A Few Things to Know and How Can a Lawyer Help You

When our health and welfare are at risk, our future pretty much depends on prompt, high-quality medical services ensured by trained professionals. Unfortunately, medical errors cannot be considered isolated incidents. Alarmingly high numbers revealed by recent studies on medical malpractice threaten our peace of mind, indicating that no less than 195,000 people lose their lives on an annual basis as a result of an incorrect medical intervention all across the U.S. Moreover, the same statistics highlight the fact that up to 19,000 malpractice cases are instrumented annually on American territory, triggering an astonishing 324 million dollars in hospital costs and supplementary expenses generated by major medical errors. In this context, it goes without saying that the victims of medical malpractice require expert guidance and flawless legal representation provided by a skilled accident attorney.

How and when to file a medical malpractice claim

If your life has been irreparably impacted by a medical error committed by a nurse, a doctor, or any other type of medical staff member, you should find a way to obtain the maximum compensation for your pain and suffering. Most victims know very little or nothing at all about the process that will inevitably become a lengthy battle in court. This is one of the reasons why they should count on a competent accident lawyer who has the expertise and the skills required to obtain the largest settlements in a case of medical malpractice. There are numerous medical errors that could put your life, safety, health, and well-being on the line. Here are some of the most common ones:

  1. Anesthesia administration errors
  2. Starting a medical intervention without obtaining consent
  3. Failure to diagnose a certain medical problem
  4. Failure to treat a particular health problem in a correct, timely manner
  5. Surgical errors
  6. Medical prescription errors
  7. Medical negligence in the emergency room resulting in additional health risks and complications

How can an accident attorney help me obtain the maximum compensation?

You can save time, money, and energy by simply contacting an accident attorney who will analyze the particularities of your case, enabling you to

  1. Determine who is responsible for your injuries
  2. File a complaint against the doctors, nurses, or other medical staff members involved in your care
  3. Get ready for your hearing (prepare all witnesses, handle all paperwork, conduct extensive research, help you comply with courtroom internal regulations, and so on)

All in all, an experienced accident lawyer will know how to make the most of compelling evidence to support your case in court, allowing you to obtain a more than satisfactory settlement. It is important to know that all information shared with your attorney will remain confidential. Moreover, one could easily find a law firm specialized in solving medical malpractice cases that embraces a “no-win, no-fee” (contingent fee) system, meaning that the accident lawyers will charge a fee for their services only after a successful lawsuit.

 

 

Traffic Offenses: Legal Consequences Affecting Drivers Who Leave the Scene of an Auto Accident

According to recent statistics, more than 5 million auto accidents took place across the US, in 2010, killing 32,885 people and injuring another 2,239,000 victims. While the prompt intervention of a team of paramedics can save lives, in some cases the driver flees the scene without announcing the accident, considerably decreasing the victims’ chances of survival. A sudden panic attack and high levels of anxiety triggered by an auto accident often direct the driver to leave the scene of the accident and become responsible for a serious offense. The law clearly stipulates the fact that a driver involved in any type of auto accident should:

  1. Provide immediate assistance to everyone who got injured in the accident;
  2. Exchange information with the other driver, or with the owner of the damaged property; and
  3. Inform the police about the accident, in case police officers are not already in the area.

When drivers fail to comply with the three important rules listed above, they automatically expose themselves to considerable fines and/or significant jail time and are usually charged by police officers with various offenses, including failure to stop after a traffic accident, failure to provide assistance to all people involved in the accident, failure to exchange addresses and names, and failure to alert the authorities. The gravity of the legal consequences threatening your freedom and your welfare depends on the gravity of your traffic accident. If the crash has resulted in fatalities or severe injuries, you could be charged with an indictable offence. In such cases, one should expect to spend up to 10 years in jail and to pay a huge fine. It goes without saying that a competent lawyer could make things a whole lot easier for you by offering excellent legal assistance and helping you understand the particularities of your case and your real options.

Things You Should Know Before Going to Court

If you’ve made yourself responsible for an auto accident and you’ve also left the scene of the accident, prepare yourself for a lengthy battle in court. You have three main options at hand: you can declare yourself guilty, declare yourself not guilty, or take the whole blame for the accident and hope to enter a diversion program. Diversion has numerous benefits: it allows you to live the rest of your life without the stigma of a criminal record while being charged with a lesser offence after successfully completing all phases of this program (which may include counseling, therapy, and/or community service). Generally, diversion is for drivers who have caused auto accidents with less severe consequences. The prosecution will strive to prove the following: the fact that you were driving, the fact that an accident took place, and the fact that you disobeyed the law and failed to provide assistance to your victims and/or to exchange addresses and names with the owners of the damaged property.

Hit-and-run cases are always problematic and require excellent legal representation from a competent attorney who specializes in auto accidents. If you have recently fled the scene of an accident, it is advisable to contact an experienced lawyer and discuss your options as soon as possible to avoid severe legal repercussions.

San Diego Accident Attorney: How to Determine When You Need a Good One

Recent statistics indicate the fact that nearly 17,000 deaths and over 300,000 serious injuries happen every year in the United States as a result of auto incidents. No matter if you are the victim or the cause, such an event can affect your life for the long term and bring about serious material and personal damage. When you are at the scene of an accident, you don’t think straight and the smallest action you do can cause irreparable harm. Your first priority should be to contact your San Diego accident attorney as soon as possible. If you don’t already have a lawyer to represent you, maybe it is time you started looking for one.

When do you require the services of a San Diego accident attorney?

A car accident lawyer is the type of professional you will definitely need when something goes wrong following a traffic incident. Most people will tell you that the first steps should be calling the police and then your insurance adjuster, but the process won’t always be as easy as you might hope. Without specialized help from an attorney who has done this kind of work before, your insurance settlement might turn out to be quite unsatisfactory, or the legal consequences of that auto incident might be more severe.

You will require the services of a San Diego accident attorney when:

1)    Settlement amount is far from enough to cover the damages

Insurance companies are considering a lot of factors when calculating your claim, so many times they may come up with a much smaller settlement amount than what you had originally anticipated. There are also situations when your insurance agent will completely ignore the long-term effects a car accident may bring into your life, such as your need for physical therapy or your inability to go to work. With a specialized attorney by your side, these omissions will not happen.

2)    When you are being sued by the other party

If it is proven that you have been the one who has caused the accident, your insurance policy will theoretically cover the debt, but sometimes that amount will not be enough for the injured party. As a result, they may be coming after you. A specialized San Diego accident attorney will know exactly what legal steps to take in order to save you potentially thousands of dollars in damages to the other party.

3)    When you are facing criminal charges

Many things can go wrong during and after an auto accident. You may have committed an act that caused the police to press charges against you, or sometimes the injured party will choose to do that as well. You will undoubtedly need the services of an accident lawyer with years of experience to help you get through this without too much trouble. Sometimes charges can be dropped due to all sorts of technical mistakes the police made at the scene, and a good accident attorney will be able to find all of these technical details that can save you from getting a criminal file with your name on it.

Even if you have been involved in an apparently insignificant traffic incident, things can go wrong. This is why it is best to have the name and contact info of a reliable San Diego accident attorney who can help you navigate the daunting legal system and get away from challenging situations.