You may be entitled to financial compensation if you or a loved one were a victim of medical malpractice in Marietta, GA. Whether your doctor failed to diagnose your condition, prescribed the wrong medications, or made a mistake during surgery, Malone Law is here to help.
An experienced Marietta medical malpractice lawyer can help you fight to recover compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and more.
Since 1965, our lawyers have been working hard to help injured clients recover fair financial compensation. We’ve successfully recovered hundreds of millions of dollars in settlements and verdicts for our efforts.
We’re ready to put over 50 years of experience to work for you. Contact us or call our law offices in Marietta, Georgia at (770) 390-7550 to schedule your free consultation today.
How Can Malone Law Help With a Medical Negligence Claim in Marietta, GA?
If you’re suffering because of your medical provider’s negligence, you deserve compensation. Hiring an experienced Marietta medical malpractice lawyer can make a world of difference in the amount of compensation you recover.
Doctors, hospitals, and their insurance companies are well-prepared to fight your case. They hire teams of lawyers to protect themselves. You deserve to have your own legal team to fight for you.
At Malone Law, our trusted lawyers have earned an AV-Preeminent rating from Martindale Hubbell’s lawyer rating service. We’ve also been recognized by Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers in America.
When you hire us, you’ll have a lawyer to:
- Investigate the cause of your injury
- Review your medical records and assess the harm you have suffered
- Bring in respected medical experts to testify on your behalf
- Calculate the value of your damages claim
- Reject any lowball settlement offers
- Protect you if the insurance companies claim you failed to mitigate damages
- Handle all negotiations and communications with the insurance companies
Our Marietta medical malpractice attorneys are known for being tough negotiators. Still, if negotiations fail, we aren’t afraid to take your case to trial.
We know you have questions. There’s no risk in reaching out to our law firm for help. Your consultation is always completely free of charge, so contact us today.
How Common is Medical Malpractice?
Medical negligence is a widespread problem in the U.S. One study conducted by the Johns Hopkins Medical Center found that over 250,000 people die because of medical errors in the United States each year. That makes medical malpractice the third-leading cause of death in the U.S.
Medical errors can take many forms.
At Malone Law, we handle all types of medical malpractice cases, including those involving:
- Misdiagnosis
- Failure to diagnose cancer and other diseases
- Surgical errors
- Emergency room errors
- Medication errors
- Anesthesia errors
- Hospital negligence
- Hospital-acquired infections
- Nursing negligence
- OBGYN errors
- Radiology errors
- Birth injuries
Georgia is no exception. In the state of Georgia alone, medical malpractice insurance companies paid out $106,521,350 in insurance settlements in 2022.
What is Medical Malpractice in Georgia?
Doctors are only human. They make mistakes like anyone else. The difference is when a doctor makes a mistake on the job, the results can be disastrous for patients.
That’s why doctors and other healthcare providers must complete extensive training before treating patients. It’s also why they’re held to a high standard of care. “Medical malpractice” happens when a doctor provides care that fails to meet the standard of care.
You may have a valid medical malpractice case against a medical provider who failed to provide the level of care that a reasonable, trained medical professional would have provided under the circumstances.
What is My Marietta Medical Malpractice Case Worth?
There is no easy answer to this question.
The value of any medical malpractice case is based on multiple factors, including:
- The type of harm or trauma that you have suffered
- The types of medical treatment necessary to correct the mistake
- The cost of your medical treatment
- Whether you are expected to recover from the medical error
- The nature of your doctor’s mistake
- Whether the mistake impacts your earnings
- Whether you’ll be able to return to work in the same capacity
- How your quality of life was impacted by the error
Consulting a lawyer is the only way to really know how much your medical malpractice case is worth. Our lawyers in Marietta are always here to discuss your case, so call today to get started.
What Types of Damages Are Available to Victims of Medical Malpractice in Georgia?
Both economic and non-economic damages can be awarded in Georgia medical malpractice cases.
Economic damages compensate victims for the financial costs associated with medical errors, including:
- Past and future medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Reduced earning potential
- Physical therapy
- Nursing care
- Rehabilitation
Non-economic damages compensate victims for their personal, non-financial losses, including:
- Pain and suffering
- Chronic pain
- Emotional distress
- Anxiety
- Depression
- PTSD
- Reduced life expectancy
- Diminished quality of life
- Disfigurement or scarring
- Loss of consortium
It can be incredibly difficult to put a dollar value on these types of non-economic losses. However, note that there is no longer a cap on your non-economic damages award. In cases involving severe injury, these damages can make up a significant portion of your award.
Medical Malpractice Often Leaves Patients Struggling With Severe Long-Term Consequences
The long-term consequences of medical mistakes vary depending on the nature of the mistake. In all cases, it’s the patient who will be left to struggle with those consequences.
Some of the long-term damage caused by medical errors include:
- Ancillary medical conditions
- A need for more invasive and expensive medical care
- Reduced life expectancy
- Bed sores
- Infections
- Loss of limbs
- Sepsis
- Stroke
- Brain damage
- Organ damage
- Severe depression and other mental health problems
- Reduced quality of life
Medical errors can also be fatal. If you lost a family member because of a medical mistake, contact our wrongful death lawyers at Malone Law to schedule a free case review today. We’ll do everything we can to help you fight for justice.
Why is Medical Malpractice So Common in Georgia?
Some of the most common causes of medical malpractice include:
- Failure to order the correct diagnostic tests
- Misinterpreting diagnostic test results
- Delayed diagnosis
- Charting and communication errors
- Wrong-site surgery
- Inexperienced medical providers
- Failure to recognize a patient’s symptoms
- Adverse drug interactions
- Overtreatment or undertreatment
- Defective medical devices and medical equipment
- Dangerous drugs
- Failure to take a complete patient history
- Failure to refer the patient to a specialist when called for
- Negligent hiring practices
- Failure to properly train and supervise medical staff
- Failure to provide proper post-operative care
- Failure to monitor a patient before, during, and after a procedure
- Physician burnout
Doctors are much more likely to make mistakes when they’re overworked and exhausted. Understaffing by hospitals and medical facilities is also a common cause of medical errors.
Our Marietta medical malpractice attorneys are here to help you find out why you’re suffering. Contact our law firm today to schedule a free case evaluation to get started.
How Do I Prove I Deserve Compensation After a Doctor Made a Mistake in Marietta, Georgia?
Of course, not all bad outcomes amount to malpractice. Even the most highly-trained physician can’t promise a perfect outcome. To recover damages, you’ll have to prove that your healthcare provider was somehow negligent.
Negligence is the legal theory behind most medical malpractice cases. Victims in a car accident case must prove four elements to recover compensation: duty, breach, causation, and damages.
Medical negligence cases are slightly different. The elements are more specific.
To recover compensation, you must prove:
- You were a patient, so you were owed a legal duty of care
- The medical standard of care that you should have received
- A deviation from the standard of care (or breach of duty)
- The substandard care caused some type of harm or damages
Under Georgia law, you must have a medical expert testify about the basis for your claim. Without an expert’s affidavit, your case will be dismissed.
At Malone Law, we have a network of medical experts in various fields. We’ll bring in the required expert to testify about the level of care you should have received and how the care you actually received failed to meet that standard of care.
How Long Do I Have to File a Medical Malpractice Lawsuit in Georgia?
The statute of limitations in medical malpractice cases is two years in Georgia.
The two-year clock starts to run on the earlier of:
- The date the medical error occurred
- The date you discovered the harm or reasonably should have discovered the harm
Regardless of the date of discovery, you cannot file a lawsuit more than five years after the date the injury occurred. However, if a foreign object was left in your body during surgery, you have one year from the date you discovered that mistake to take legal action.
Contact an Experienced Marietta Medical Malpractice Lawyer for a Free Consultation
Medical malpractice claims are always complicated. You need an experienced attorney in your corner. Our team at Malone Law has decades of experience in medical malpractice law. Contact us today or call (770) 390-7550 to schedule your free consultation with a Marietta medical malpractice lawyer.