Houston Medical Malpractice Lawyer

When doctors make mistakes, patients suffer needlessly. Medical errors can lead to painful and debilitating injuries. They can cause or exacerbate chronic medical conditions. It’s not unusual for people to suffer the consequences for months, years, or even a lifetime. In some cases, medical malpractice can result in death.

Even if the negligence of a healthcare professional doesn’t result in a wrongful death, you can still suffer serious injuries that include brain damage, shoulder dystocia, extremity injuries, severe burn, and general health complications.

Fortunately, the law in Houston, TX protects patients against the negligence of their healthcare providers. It says that doctors and nurses must provide an accepted standard of care as defined by the state of Texas. Failure to do so can result in a personal injury claim, which allow victims and their families to sue the responsible parties for compensation related to their injuries. Whether you have suffered injuries or other medical complications as a result of medical malpractice involving a failure to diagnose, medication errors, surgeon errors, prescribing the wrong dosage of medication, or misdiagnosis, a Houston medical malpractice lawyer can help you get the results you deserve going forward.

WHAT ARE COMMON TYPES OF MEDICAL MALPRACTICE CASES?

Medical malpractice occurs whenever the personal negligence of a healthcare provider results in harm, injury, or death. Doctors may fail to treat patients’ conditions. They may provide the wrong treatment or substandard care. No matter what form negligence takes, it’s important that victims speak with a medical malpractice lawyer to determine what legal remedies are open to them.

Common examples of medical practice that can occur at TX Medical Center or in other hospitals include the following:

• Delayed Treatments: Many conditions require prompt treatment. When physicians do not treat an injury or illness in a timely manner, either because they fail to recognize the symptoms, order the right tests, or take the results seriously, then it may be considered malpractice.
• Hospital Errors: Every day, hospitals save lives. Unfortunately, hospital mistakes can also cost lives. According to Consumer Reports magazine,1 hospital mistakes cause an estimated 722,000 deaths every year in the United States. Errors can take the form of falls, medication mix-ups, sores caused by prolonged bed rest, and preventable infections.
• Failure to Diagnose or Misdiagnosis: It’s the responsibility of doctors to run all the appropriate tests and take all the necessary steps in order to ensure a correct diagnosis. All too often, they dismiss patients without ordering the necessary tests. On the other hand, they may ask for the wrong tests or interpret the results incorrectly. That can lead to prolongation of an illness, preventable suffering, expensive and unnecessary tests, as well as counter-productive or harmful treatments.
• Drug Errors: Many parties are responsible for the safety of prescription drugs. That leaves a lot of room for error. The manufacturer could fail to warn the public about the potential consequences of a dangerous drug. Doctors sometimes prescribe the wrong drug an inappropriate dosage, or a drug that reacts negatively with other medications the patient is currently taking. Pharmacists are also responsible for a patient’s wellbeing. If they misread the order and fill the prescription incorrectly, they, too, can be held liable.
• Surgical Errors: Surgeries always pose risks, but some errors are inexcusable. News reports and court documents are filled with stories of surgeons operating on the wrong part of the body or even on the wrong patient, leaving surgical instruments inside the patient’s body or accidentally puncturing organs and blood vessels.
• Birth Injuries: Mothers and their newborn babies are particularly vulnerable to medical mistakes. Poor care before, during, or after the birthing process can lead to permanent disabilities and, in rare cases, death.

WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I THINK I’VE BEEN A VICTIM OF MEDICAL MALPRACTICE?

In an instant, a medical mistake can ruin your health and your wellbeing. If only it were so easy to obtain compensation. The truth is that filing a lawsuit can be a long and complex process. You must prove that the medical provider was negligent, that his or her negligence led directly to your injury or illness, and that the mistake caused a specific dollar amount in damages.

There is only one way to increase your chances of obtaining a favorable outcome: by hiring an experienced medical malpractice attorney. A medical malpractice lawyer in Houston has the experience and resources to collect the evidence, evaluate medical records, hire experts, and negotiate on your behalf. Misdiagnosing cancer or a pharmacist providing you the wrong medication are just a few examples of medical malpractice to be alert about.

If a health care provider or any medical professionals have breached their standard of care, you should reach out to a medical malpractice lawyer from our law firm in Houston today.

WHAT DAMAGES CAN I GET BACK THROUGH A MEDICAL MALPRACTICE CLAIM?

Medical malpractice claims can help you recover damages, such as:

• Lost wages. If your injury or illness prevents you from working and results in a loss of wages, then that counts as financial harm. The same applies if the patient dies and his or her heirs can prove financial dependency.
• Medical bills. These might include all health care expenses incurred as a result of the accident, including hospital stays, surgery costs, prescription drugs, therapies (physical and mental), treatments (such as x-rays), ambulance fees, home nursing services, and the fees of expert witnesses.
• Physical impairment. In most cases, medical malpractice leaves a victim with permanent physical defects – both mental and physical – that result in a lower quality of life. If loss of limb or mobility fits this description, you’re entitled to significant compensation.
• Emotional distress. Emotional pain is just as real as physical pain, and courts have been allocating larger sums for it over time. We can help you recover compensation for pain and suffering and emotional distress.
• Loss of companionship. You or your family members can sue the medical provider if a loved one died as a result of malpractice and there was serious fault on the doctor’s part.

The list above is not exhaustive; it simply represents the most common damages awarded in medical malpractice claims. To learn more about your potential options, contact our medical malpractice law firm today to get justice for your medical injury.

HIRE A HOUSTON MEDICAL MALPRACTICE ATTORNEY

If you’ve been injured because of a medical error at TX Medical Center or other healthcare facility, the Houston law firm of Schechter, Shaffer & Harris, L.L.P. can help you through the legal process. Through tough negotiating, exhaustive research, skilled litigation, strong representation, and relentless persistence, our Houston medical malpractice lawyers have recovered damages for many clients over the years.

A medical malpractice lawyer from our medical malpractice law firm can make matters right when negligent nurses, hospitals, doctors, surgeons, and other medical care professionals do not treat you correctly.

The right medical malpractice lawyer will advocate for you every step of the way. Not every medical malpractice lawyer is the same. A medical malpractice lawyer from our law firm will provide you with personalized treatment and representation so you can get the best results possible.

Contact us to receive a free consultation with a medical malpractice lawyer today.