Are you suffering because an OB/GYN, gynecological staff member, or medical facility failed to provide the proper standard of care in Atlanta, GA? When obstetricians make mistakes, they jeopardize the lives of expectant mothers and innocent babies. If you or a loved one were a victim, an experienced Atlanta obstetrician (OB/GYN) malpractice lawyer can help you fight to recover the maximum financial compensation you deserve.
At Malone Law, we’ve recovered hundreds of millions of dollars on behalf of injured patients like you. We put the weight of 50 years of legal experience to work for every client we represent.
You may deserve money for medical bills, lost wages, pain, suffering, and trauma. Contact our law firm in Atlanta, Georgia, at (770) 390-7550, to schedule a free consultation today.
How Malone Law Can Help You Recover Compensation for Obstetrician (OB/GYN) Malpractice in Atlanta
Any medical malpractice case is going to be complicated. Cases involving a specialist’s errors are among the most difficult to prove. You’ll need an experienced Atlanta medical malpractice attorney with a great deal of experience and significant resources.
Malone Law has been advocating for families like yours since 1965. For our efforts, we’ve been recognized by Super Lawyers and earned an AV-Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell.
When you trust our team with your case, we will:
- Conduct a complete investigation to find out what happened
- Engage leading experts to testify about your OB/GYN’s mistake
- Assess the extent of your injuries and damages
- Handle all insurance paperwork and communications
- Negotiate aggressively with the defendant and insurance companies for a full settlement
- Fight to protect you in court if necessary
If your family was harmed by an obstetrician’s careless mistake, call our Atlanta medical malpractice lawyers today. We’ll do everything possible to win the full compensation you deserve.
How Common Is Obstetrician Malpractice?
Malpractice lawsuits against OB/GYNs are on a downward trend. Still, about 80% of all practicing OB/GYNs report being sued for medical malpractice at least once in their careers.
What Is Obstetrician Malpractice?
Obstetricians are medical specialists. They have advanced training in treating pregnant women and their babies.
Obstetricians are responsible for:
- Providing expectant mothers with routine prenatal care
- Diagnosing and treating any complications that arise during the pregnancy
- Delivering babies
- Monitoring mother and baby during pregnancy, labor, and delivery
- Providing post-partum care, often for weeks or months after delivery
Obstetrics and gynecology are separate specialties. Gynecologists deal with basic reproductive health, while obstetricians treat women who are already pregnant. However, obstetricians are often referred to as “OB/GYNs” because hospitals and medical facilities often combine the two specialties into the same department.
Like any medical professional, obstetricians must provide a certain level of care. When an obstetrician deviates from the standard of care that a reasonable, trained obstetrician would have provided under the circumstances, they may be liable for malpractice.
Overview of Georgia’s Medical Malpractice Laws
All healthcare providers in Georgia are held to a certain standard of care. This medical standard of care is developed within the medical community. In the most general terms, it’s based on customary practices that a reasonable medical provider would adhere to.
The relevant standard will vary from case to case, depending on factors such as:
- The medical condition involved
- The patient’s general health and age
- The patient’s prior medical history
The doctor’s specialized training is also relevant. Specialists in Georgia are often held to higher standards than general practitioners. That’s because they have completed additional training so that they can call themselves specialists in the first place.
Still, not every mistake is considered malpractice.
To prove medical negligence, you must prove:
- You were a patient, so the obstetrician owed you a legal duty of care
- The obstetrician did not provide the proper standard of care, so breached their duty of care
- The breach of duty directly caused some type of harm
- Your family suffered damages as a result
For your medical malpractice case to succeed under Georgia medical malpractice laws, you must obtain an affidavit from a medical expert. The expert must have experience in obstetrics and be qualified to testify about the type of care you should have received and your OB/GYN’s mistake.
We Handle All Types of Obstetrician Malpractice Cases in Atlanta
Like any healthcare professional, obstetricians can make mistakes in diagnosing and treating their patients. Some of those medical errors are severe enough to amount to malpractice.
Some common examples of OB/GYN malpractice include:
- Failure to monitor mother and fetus during pregnancy and labor
- Failure to diagnose serious prenatal conditions, including preeclampsia, ectopic pregnancy, or gestational diabetes
- Improper use of forceps, vacuum extractors, and other labor-assist devices
- Failure to order a C-section when called for or performing unnecessary C-sections
- Surgical errors while performing a C-section
- Misdiagnosis or misinterpreting test results
- Failure to order the appropriate diagnostic tests
- Failure to take a full patient history
- Failure to recognize a high-risk pregnancy
- Failure to test for congenital disorders
- Failure to recognize a prolapsed umbilical cord
- Failure to properly obtain a patient’s consent before a procedure
- Administering incorrect medications during pregnancy or labor
- Providing improper post-surgical or post-partum care
Many patients don’t fully understand what happened during the course of their medical treatment. If you even suspect that you were a victim of a medical error, contact Malone Law for legal advice. We can help you understand whether you have a valid case.
What Is My Atlanta Obstetrician Malpractice Case Worth?
A medical mistake during pregnancy or delivery can have a dramatic impact on your family’s health and quality of life. When your newborn baby is injured at birth, you may be facing a lifetime of challenges. The trauma of the experience can be overwhelming.
It’s nearly impossible to estimate the value of these types of damages without careful evaluation.
When our lawyers are assessing your case value, we’ll examine:
- The overall severity of the injuries caused by the mistake
- The nature of the obstetrician’s error
- Your current medical treatment costs
- Whether the doctor expects the mother or child to require ongoing medical care or rehab
- Your anticipated future expenses
- Any income you lose due to the ordeal
- How the injury might impact the mother or child’s future earning prospects
- How the injury is expected to impact your baby’s childhood and education
- Your pain, suffering, and trauma
Additional factors can be relevant depending on the facts of your case. We may call upon experts in medicine, economics, life planning, education, and various other specialties to weigh in on more complex issues.
What Types of Damages Are Available to Victims of Obstetrician Malpractice in Atlanta?
You can seek compensation for economic damages and non-economic damages.
While the specific damages you recover will depend on your unique losses, examples may include:
- Past and future medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Lost future earning potential
- Rehabilitation and specialized therapies
- Special education needs
- Long-term care
- Counseling
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Anxiety disorders
- Depression
- Loss of a normal childhood
- Reduced quality of life
- Disfigurement
Contact our Atlanta obstetrician malpractice attorneys today to learn more about how we can help you recover fair compensation for your losses.
How Much Does It Cost To Hire a Medical Malpractice Lawyer?
Your attorney’s fees depend on the amount of compensation we recover in your case. We operate under a contingency fee system. When we recover compensation for our clients, we take a percentage.
Like most personal injury attorneys, we only charge attorney’s fees if we recover compensation for your family.
Our Attorneys in Atlanta Will Fight To Recover Compensation for All of Your Injuries
Both mother and baby are at risk for injuries when OB/GYNs make medical mistakes.
Some examples of the types of injury cases our team at Malone Law handles include:
- Brain damage
- Broken bones
- Nerve damage
- Internal bleeding and uncontrolled hemorrhaging
- Spinal cord injuries and paralysis
- Infection and amputations
- Cerebral Palsy
- Erb’s Palsy
- Shoulder dystocia
- Brachial plexus injuries
- Other types of birth injuries
- Skull fractures
- Anesthesia injuries
- Facial paralysis
- Catastrophic and permanent injuries
In the worst possible cases, the patient’s life is at risk. Our wrongful death attorneys are here to help you fight for justice if you lose a loved one due to a tragic medical error.
How Long Do I Have To File a Medical Malpractice Lawsuit if I Was a Victim of OB/GYN Malpractice in Georgia?
Under Georgia law, you must generally file your lawsuit within two years of your injury.
When you don’t learn about the error quickly, the two-year clock starts to run on the date you discover, or reasonably should have discovered, the mistake. However, regardless of when you discover the medical error, you must file your lawsuit within five years of the date the error occurred, or you lose your right to compensation entirely.
As there are exceptions to these time limits, it’s best to reach out to us as soon as you can for help protecting your legal rights and interests.
Contact a Trusted Atlanta Obstetrician (OB/GYN) Malpractice Lawyer for a Free Consultation
You don’t have to let the OB/GYN get away with harming your family. Contact an experienced Atlanta obstetrician (OB/GYN) malpractice lawyer at Malone Law to learn about your right to financial compensation today.