Heart disease is a leading cause of death in the United States. About one person dies every 33 seconds from cardiovascular disease. Therefore, it is crucial that cardiologists diagnose and treat cardiovascular problems quickly and correctly.
When a cardiologist is negligent or makes an error, the patient could suffer life-threatening conditions and permanent impairments. If you believe you or a loved one suffered harm because of cardiologist malpractice in Atlanta, Georgia, you can benefit from the advice and guidance of an experienced medical professional negligence attorney.
Our Atlanta cardiologist malpractice lawyers at Malone Law have over 50 years of collective experience handling medical malpractice claims. Attorney Adam Malone is certified by the American Board of Professional Liability Attorneys in medical professional negligence.
As top-rated Georgia medical malpractice lawyers, we have recovered record-setting jury verdicts and negotiated settlements. Our law firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for our clients since we were founded in 1965.
Contact or call (770) 390-7550 Malone Law to schedule a free consultation with one of our Atlanta cardiologist malpractice attorneys.
How Malone Law Can Help if You’ve Been Injured Because of Cardiologist Malpractice in Atlanta
If you have been injured because of cardiologist malpractice, you have the right to file a claim for damages. Mistakes and negligence by cardiologists can cause significant physical, emotional, and financial harm to patients. You deserve to be compensated fully for the harm caused by a negligent cardiologist.
However, proving cardiologist malpractice can be complicated. It requires a thorough knowledge of medical malpractice laws and resources to hire medical experts and specialists to assist with the case. You have the burden of proving medical negligence or malpractice to win your case.
The Atlanta medical malpracrice lawyers at Malone Law have extensive experience handling malpractice claims. Our law firm has the resources to handle complex personal injury claims like malpractice. Our attorneys at Malone Law are recognized by national organizations for their legal services, including Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers.
When you hire our award-winning Atlanta medical malpractice lawyers, you can trust we will handle all aspects of your case, including:
- Explain how Georgia medical malpractice laws apply to your case
- Conduct an independent investigation to determine what caused your injury
- Obtain copies of all medical records and evidence related to your case
- Hire leading medical specialists and expert witnesses to assist with your case
- Identify all parties who could share liability for your claim
- Document the severity of your injuries and the extent of your damages to calculate how much your case is worth
- Negotiate fair settlements with insurance companies, doctors, and other parties
- File a cardiologist malpractice lawsuit and take the case to trial, if necessary
At Malone Law, we have more than five decades of experience helping patients injured or harmed by medical malpractice. Contact our law firm to schedule a free case evaluation with an experienced cardiologist malpractice lawyer in Atlanta, GA.
Common Causes of Cardiologist Malpractice in Atlanta, GA
Not every undesired medical outcome is due to error or negligence by cardiologists. However, mistakes and errors that could lead to a cardiologist malpractice claim include:
- Failing to diagnose a heart condition
- Not reviewing the patient’s medical history
- Ignoring or failing to recognize a patient’s symptoms
- Failing to perform an EKG, blood tests, echocardiography, or stress test
- Misdiagnosis of a heart condition
- Prescribing the incorrect medication or the wrong dosage of medication
- Errors made during a consultation in an emergency room or nursing home
- Improper management of heart disease
- Delayed diagnosis of a heart condition
- Misreading the results of an EKG or other diagnostic test
- Failing to detect a closed artery
Cardiologists usually do not perform surgery, so most cardiologist negligence deals with diagnosing and treating heart conditions. Cardiology errors can result in catastrophic conditions and increase the risk of other diseases.
Injuries Caused by Cardiology Malpractice
The consequences of cardiologist malpractice depend on the severity of the person’s conditions and other factors. However, a mistake by a cardiologist can result in life-threatening injuries and permanent impairments.
Common injuries associated with cardiologist malpractice include, but are not limited to:
- Worsening of the underlying condition
- Heart attack
- Ruptured aneurysm
- Increased risk of high cholesterol
- Stroke
- Brain damage
- Coma
- Wrongful death
Worsening heart conditions typically result in additional financial losses from missing work and increased medical bills. The pain and suffering a patient experiences can increase, too. Our knowledgeable Atlanta cardiologist malpractice lawyers can identify the damages you suffered because of the negligence or mistakes made by a cardiologist to maximize your recovery for a medical malpractice claim.
What Damages Can I Receive for a Cardiologist Malpractice Claim in Georgia?
Victims of medical malpractice claims can recover compensation for their economic damages and non-economic damages. Those damages include:
- The cost of medical treatment and care
- Past and future lost wages, including reductions in future earning capacity
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Mental anguish and emotional distress
- Out-of-pocket expenses
- Physical pain and suffering
- Long-term personal care and/or nursing care
- Diminished quality of life
- Permanent scarring, disability, and impairment
The amount of compensation you receive depends on the facts of your case. Typically, catastrophic injuries and permanent impairments increase the value of a malpractice claim. However, many factors could impact the final settlement amount for a cardiologist malpractice claim.
In very specific cases, a jury might award punitive damages. Punitive damages are not intended to compensate you for your losses. Instead, they punish the defendant for gross negligence or intentional wrongdoing.
Punitive damages are only awarded in a small number of cases. Our legal team will evaluate your claim to determine if the facts support a demand for punitive damages.
Proving Liability for Injuries Caused by Cardiologist Malpractice in Atlanta, GA
Cardiologists are not generally liable for things they could not know or foresee. They are liable for when they breach their duty of care owed to their patient by their acts or omissions.
The elements to prove a cardiologist malpractice claim in Georgia are:
- A duty of care inherent to the doctor-patient relationship exists between the cardiologist and the patient
- The cardiologist failed to provide a reasonable standard of care
- There is a direct and proximate link between the breach of care and the patient’s injuries
- The patient suffered damages because of the cardiologist’s actions (or inaction)
The reasonable standard of care can differ depending on the circumstances of the case. The definition of the reasonable standard of care for a case is based on what a reasonably prudent cardiologist with similar qualifications would have done in a similar situation. In other words, given your situation, did your cardiologist’s standard of care fall short of the acceptable standard of care?
In a medical malpractice case, we hire medical experts to establish a reasonable standard of care based on your case’s circumstances. Then, the experts explain how your physician’s actions deviated from the accepted standard of care and how the deviation caused your injuries.
We must be able to establish that the breach of the standard of care was a direct and proximate cause of your injury. Also, we must prove that you were injured and suffered damages because of the breach of duty. If you did not suffer harm, you cannot recover compensation even if the cardiologist makes a mistake.
What Should You Do if You Suspect Your Cardiologist Made an Error or Mistake?
Because heart conditions can be life-threatening, you might want to seek a second opinion immediately. If your cardiologist made a mistake or missed something, you need to know about it as soon as possible so you can receive the correct treatment.
Gather copies of your medical records from your previous cardiologist and your current cardiologist. The medical records can help prove that your first cardiologist made a mistake or was negligent in your care. When you hire our law firm, we handle this step for you.
You will need medical experts to assist with your case. Because expert witnesses can be expensive, most individuals hire lawyers to handle their cases. A law firm has the resources to hire medical experts and pursue other evidence to build a case for cardiologist malpractice.
What Is the Statute of Limitations for a Cardiologist Malpractice Case in Georgia?
Typically, you have two years to file a medical malpractice claim under Georgia’s statute of limitations. The court can dismiss lawsuits filed after that date.
However, you might have additional time to file a lawsuit if you did not discover the cardiologist’s negligence until later. It is best to contact our Atlanta cardiologist malpractice attorneys as soon as possible to discuss filing a claim, as determining the statute of limitations can be difficult in these cases.
Schedule a Free Consultation With Our Atlanta Cardiologist Malpractice Lawyers
Our legal team at Malone Law is here to help you by answering questions and explaining how medical malpractice cases work. Contact us today to request a free case review to learn if you have a claim and how our Atlanta cardiologist malpractice attorneys can help.