Port St. Lucie medical malpractice lawyers

Unfortunately, serious and permanent damage can occur at the hands of someone you trust the most – your doctor. When harm occurs due to carelessness or other forms of negligence, the doctor or medical professional can and should be held accountable.

Work with a Port St Lucie medical malpractice attorney with decades of experience helping people harmed by medical negligence. We’re ready to use our skills on your behalf.

Please don’t hesitate to call our Port St Lucie personal injury team at (561) 655-1990 or use our online contact form if you would like a free evaluation of your case and to learn more about how we may be able to help you obtain the compensation you deserve.

What steps should you take after experiencing medical malpractice?

Seek proper medical attention.

Visit another medical professional in order to treat the issues and find out the extent of your injuries.

Do this as soon as you discover your doctor’s wrongdoing or if you suspect you weren’t treated properly, not only for your health but also to aid your potential medical malpractice case. The new doctor may be able to review your medical records and confirm that your original doctor was negligent.

Obtain a copy of your records.

Ask for your medical records as soon as possible. Request in writing and ensure that you ask for all documents, including lab reports, imaging, doctor and staff notes, and the access log for your file. After you have the records, you need to put them in a secure location, such as a safe deposit box, or give them to your lawyer if you already have one.

It’s also recommended that you make an electronic copy of the records. The importance of your medical records can’t be overstated – these papers could be vital to proving you were the victim of medical negligence. If you wait too long, there’s a chance that an unscrupulous medical professional or hospital administrator might try to alter your records.

Speak with an attorney.

Your next step should be to contact a Port St. Lucie medical malpractice attorney at Lytal, Reiter, Smith, Ivey & Fronrath, who can investigate the circumstances that led to your injury and will deal with any opposition from the doctor or hospital’s attorneys.

Mistakes that amount to malpractice 

There are several ways a patient can be severely injured or die as a result of medical malpractice. These are just a few.

Mistakes during surgery

We’ve seen a wide range of surgical errors, including surgeons who leave sponges and other medical instruments inside the patient’s body. This will not only typically result in severe pain, but it could also cause major infections and other complications.

We’ve also seen surgeons accidentally work on the wrong body parts, such as a patient’s right leg instead of the left leg, and several other terrible incidents. Unnecessary surgery is another example of potential medical malpractice.

Misdiagnosis

In many instances, a prompt and correct diagnosis is critical to a patient’s treatment, recovery, and well-being. A delayed or inaccurate diagnosis could lead to severe problems, such as causing a patient to undergo the wrong type of treatment, not obtain the correct treatment, or take the wrong type of medication as a result.

Birth injuries

A mistake during a baby’s birth can lead to terrible, lifelong complications or even death. These mistakes are often easily avoidable if the doctor gives the appropriate level of attention and care to the mother and the child.

Some common examples of birth injuries include waiting too long to perform a cesarean section or improperly using tools when the baby is stuck in the birth canal, which can break bones and cause additional problems.

Mistakes with medications

As hard as it may be to believe, a doctor might prescribe the wrong medication. This is a potentially fatal mistake and can result in terrible complications.

Don’t wait – file a claim as soon as possible.

Florida has a two-year statute of limitations when it comes to medical malpractice cases. This means that a patient has two years from the date the misconduct occurred or from the date the patient realized malpractice occurred. If a patient waits until after the statute of limitations has expired, they won’t be given the opportunity to file a medical malpractice lawsuit.

Two years may seem like a long time, but you should take action as soon as possible. Your attorney needs time to properly investigate the incident so that they can build a strong, effective case. The longer you wait to file a claim, the longer it’ll delay your settlement, which could make it harder to obtain the compensation you deserve.

What are potential damages you can claim?

The purpose of filing a medical malpractice lawsuit is to recover the financial losses you’ve incurred that were caused by your doctor’s negligence and error. The following is a look at the two most common forms of damages: economic and non-economic.

Economic damages

These are damages that are generally seen as easily quantifiable because they can be proven with receipts and other documentation. Common forms of economic damages in a medical malpractice case include medical bills and lost wages or work benefits. 

Medical expenses

You’ve likely already started to receive medical bills, or maybe you haven’t, but you’re afraid of the costs that will compile with the new treatment you must receive.

Medical expenses can include all of the costs already incurred associated with the claim, including the costs of your medications, doctors’ visits, ambulance rides, hospital stays, and more. They will also include anticipated future medical care you’ll need to be associated with those injuries. 

Our medical malpractice lawyers in Port St. Lucie will utilize expert medical witnesses to verify that negligence occurred and to provide detailed information and estimates regarding your future medical care and expenses.

Lost wages

As with medical bills, you’re not only looking at the wages you’ve lost while dealing with these medical problems, any benefits you lost during that time, and the wages and benefits you’ll lose while you continue with treatment and recovery, but you’re also looking at those that you might lose in the future, especially if your injuries prevent you from working in the same capacity as you did before you were injured. 

Lytal, Reiter, Smith, Ivey, and Fronrath have a network of highly experienced vocational evaluators who can assess how your injuries have impacted your ability to work and the financial loss associated with your decreased ability to work. 

Non-economic damages

Where economic damages are tangible and are more easily calculated, non-economic damages are subjective and intangible and require the skill of a top-rated Port St Lucie medical malpractice attorney to recover the amount you’re entitled to.

Emotional and psychological distress

Along with the physical suffering associated with the results of medical negligence, there’s also a psychological component.

Patients often experience emotional distress and report experiencing feelings of anxiety, helplessness, and other debilitating feelings. These are all valid feelings and suffering, as recognized by the State of Florida, which is why they’re recoverable damages.

Diminished quality of life

Patients severely injured due to medical malpractice might also suffer from depression due to the life changes that are necessitated by the physical or mental limitations imposed on them by the doctor’s errors.

For example, a botched elbow surgery could prevent someone from playing tennis or baseball with their kids—it might even prevent them from holding their child. A dramatic change to one’s life caused by the injury may also be recoverable under non-economic damages. 

We’ll work to obtain maximum compensation.

Compensation will help you recover financially and provide peace of mind that the cost of your future medical care isn’t something you need to worry about. 

There are other reasons to file a medical malpractice lawsuit:

• You’ll see that justice is done and that those responsible for your suffering are made to pay dearly for their carelessness
• You could help prevent the same or similar situation with another patient

Multiple parties may be liable for your injury

In addition to the complex nature of a medical malpractice claim and the difficulty of proving that the doctor was negligent, there are several other reasons why you’ll need the help of our medical malpractice lawyers. 

The investigation needs to be thorough to uncover evidence and witnesses who may be helpful to your case. Lawyers are often able to obtain documents and information that a self-represented person can’t. While conducting their investigation, your lawyer might discover that more than one person is liable for your injury.

Not only could the doctor and any nurses who committed negligence be held liable, but the facility where the malpractice occurred might also be liable.

The hospital or clinic where you had surgery, for example, could be sued due to unsanitary conditions or for hiring a surgeon who had committed malpractice in the past. It takes an extremely skilled lawyer to review all the information and dig deeper to determine each liable party.

How to deal with insurance after medical malpractice

The best thing for you to do after you file a medical malpractice claim is to not speak with the doctor’s insurance carrier. Direct all communications to your attorney and inform the insurer that you won’t talk to them without your attorney.

This is to protect you from accidentally saying something that could potentially harm or destroy your case, which is the insurer’s goal. We’re highly experienced when it comes to dealing with malpractice insurers and will shield you from their games and harassment.

How much does it cost to work with a Port St Lucie medical malpractice attorney?

When you choose Lytal, Reiter, Smith, Ivey & Fronrath to represent you through this difficult time, you won’t pay a dime unless we win your case. So, don’t worry about the out-of-pocket costs associated with the lawsuit—there won’t be any.

We might even be able to arrange treatment with medical providers who will treat you using an attorney’s lien. This means the provider will defer payment until your case is resolved via settlement or jury verdict.

Our Port St. Lucie medical malpractice attorneys are ready to help

Get in touch with Lytal, Reiter, Smith, Ivey & Fronrath to learn more about how one of our personal injury lawyers in Port St. Lucie can help you move forward with your life after such a tragic incident. Schedule a free consultation by contacting us online or by calling (561) 655-1990.