As a personal injury attorney, injured people often meet with me to ask whether they can bring a claim against a doctor, nurse, chiropractor, or other medical professional. As a result of these frequent inquiries, I thought it would be useful to describe what makes a personal injury case in Mississippi. One thing is critical to state up front—you will need to have experienced personal injury counsel help you attain any settlement from a medical provider. Barrett Law has the experience to help you through this process. Contact us now at (800) 707-9577.
What is Negligence?
Believe it or not, but accidents do happen. There is a difference between something accidentally or unavoidably occurring during a medical procedure and negligence. You cannot recover damages based simply on an unfortunate, unavoidable occurrence, but you may be able to recover a tremendous settlement once negligence is established. But how is medical negligence different from an accident? Negligence means that a doctor or medical professional failed to meet the standard of care of their profession. Within the medical context, negligence is usually referred to as “malpractice.”
What Does the “Standard of Care” Mean?
Simply put, malpractice occurs when the patient’s medical care does not meet current medical standards. This failure may be due to a physician or medical provider not staying current with their training, a failure to adequately supervise or train nurses and other support staff, or poor sanitation within the medical environment.
Common Types of Medical Negligence
There are many types of medical malpractice, ranging from the minor to the most severe, with consequence ranging from inconvenience to death. You should understand, however, that the malpractice does not have to be dramatic to have long-lasting, serious consequences. Many cases of infection due to unsanitary practices have had devastating, even deadly effects. Unfortunately, I receive frequent calls about MRSA and MSSA infections received from medical facilities and nursing homes, two very serious and all too common infections that can have be life-threatening. Believe it or not, one of the most common examples of medical malpractice is leaving a surgical tool or sponge inside the body cavity after an operation. Anytime you suffer an injury as a result of malpractice, you must call an experienced personal injury attorney immediately to protect your health and rights.
What Should You Do If You Were Injured?
If you were injured in the course of receiving medical care, contact an experienced personal injury attorney so that you can focus on yourself and on your healing process. Sadly, I sometimes speak with Mississippi clients whose loved ones have died as a result of medical malpractice. In either case, you may be offered a quick settlement after an accident in exchange for your agreement not to pursue a legal challenge. Do not accept these “low-ball” offers, as tempting as they may be at the time.
Instead, contact an experienced personal injury attorney immediately. Let experienced personal injury counsel take care of preserving medical records, dealing with aggressive opposing counsel, attaining expert diagnoses, and dealing with insurance companies. These are important tasks that an only a personal injury attorney can handle for you. If they are handled poorly by an attorney without numerous personal injury cases under his or her belt, they may be done ineffectively, costing you a tremendous amount of compensation.
Call Barrett Law now, an experienced Mississippi personal injury law firm, to represent you if you have suffered an injury that you believe is due to medical malpractice.
Barrett Law has the experience to take on defense attorneys and insurance companies that are focused on denying your compensation for your injuries. Contact our experienced Mississippi Personal Injury Attorney today at (800) 707-9577.
