Easton Medical Malpractice Lawyer

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Easton medical malpractice lawyer, Ed Shaughnessy, helps victims of medical negligence file medical malpractice claims in Easton, PA, bringing a wealth of knowledge to his medical malpractice law firm.

At the Law Offices of Ed Shaughnessy, our Easton medical malpractice lawyers understand the impact medical negligence can have on the lives of our clients. From misdiagnoses and surgical errors to medication mistakes and birth injuries, medical malpractice claims encompass a wide range of scenarios in which a doctor or healthcare provider fails to meet the standard of care.

To schedule a free initial consultation with one of our compassionate Easton attorneys, call 610-258-9955 today. Our medical malpractice lawyers operate on a contingency fee basis, so clients won’t pay legal fees unless their medical malpractice claim is successful.

What is Medical Malpractice?

Medical malpractice occurs when medical professionals, including physicians, nurses, and other medical professionals, provide substandard medical care that results in injury to a patient. It occurs when a healthcare professional deviates from the accepted standard of care, failing to act responsibly in diagnosing, treating, or managing a patient’s medical condition.

Common Medical Malpractice Cases

Below, our Easton medical malpractice lawyer details some of the most common medical malpractice cases our Easton personal injury attorneys have represented.

Misdiagnosis

Misdiagnosis occurs when a physician fails to identify a patient’s medical condition accurately or misinterprets their symptoms. These medical errors can result from inadequate patient assessment, miscommunication, reliance on faulty medical tests, or a lack of comprehensive medical history review.

Diagnosing errors can significantly impact a patient’s health, causing treatment delays, unnecessary suffering, serious injury, and, in extreme cases, wrongful death. An experienced misdiagnosis lawyer in Easton, PA, can potentially help secure appropriate compensation for your injury.

Medication Errors

Medication errors involving prescription drugs are a concern within the medical community, posing serious risks to patient safety. Common errors include prescribing the wrong medication, incorrect dosages, failing to notice adverse drug interactions, or administering medicine to the wrong patient.

Our Easton medical malpractice lawyers can help determine fault and hold the doctor or responsible party accountable.

Surgical Errors

A surgical error is a potentially life-altering mistake that occurs during surgical procedures. Surgical errors can include wrong-site surgery, incorrect incisions, anesthesia errors, and leaving surgical instruments, medical devices, or foreign objects inside the patient’s body.

A surgical error can result from miscommunication among surgical teams, inadequate pre-operative planning, fatigue, or lapses in concentration. This medical negligence affects a patient’s physical well-being and causes emotional and psychological distress.

Our medical malpractice lawyer in Easton, PA, can help clients recover compensation for any injury sustained due to surgical error caused by medical negligence.

Birth Injuries

Birth injuries due to medical negligence are tragic and often preventable incidents with lifelong consequences for the victim, such as physical and developmental challenges. These injuries can result from negligent actions or decisions made by the physician or medical professionals during pregnancy, labor, and delivery.

Common examples of negligent birth injuries include Cerebral palsy, Erb’s palsy, brachial plexus injuries, and brain damage.

An Easton birth injury attorney at the Law Offices of Edward P. Shaughnessy can help you understand birth and pregnancy negligence claims during your free initial consultation.

Anesthesia Errors

Anesthesia errors can involve administering the wrong type or dosage of anesthesia, failing to properly monitor the patient’s vital signs during anesthesia, or inadequate post-operative care. Anesthesia errors can result in serious complications, including anesthesia awareness, allergic reactions, organ damage, or even life-threatening situations.

Our law firm handles anesthesia medical malpractice claims in Easton, PA.

Chiropractic Errors

Common chiropractic errors include spinal manipulation complications, spine misalignment, nerve damage, and failure to recognize contraindications. Patients who experience chiropractic errors may suffer from pain, worsened medical conditions, or long-term disability.

Our Easton medical malpractice lawyers can help ensure clients receive the compensation they deserve for chiropractic injuries.

Lack of Informed Consent

When a medical professional fails to obtain informed consent, patients may undergo medical interventions without understanding potential risks, side effects, or alternative options. This can lead to unexpected complications, dissatisfaction with outcomes, and medical malpractice claims against healthcare providers.

If you suffered adverse effects following a surgical procedure without being adequately informed about the risks, our Easton medical malpractice lawyers can help.

Nursing Home Negligence

Nursing home negligence is a serious issue that can lead to devastating consequences for residents and their families. In Easton, PA, a skilled medical malpractice lawyer can provide essential legal support to the victim and family members. Our Easton nursing home abuse lawyers are adept at investigating the circumstances, gathering evidence, and holding the doctor, nurse, or facility accountable for their actions.

A dedicated medical malpractice lawyer in Easton, PA, can navigate the complexities of Pennsylvania personal injury law to seek justice and recover compensation for victims, ensuring their rights are protected, and their dignity is restored.

Possible Liable Parties in a Medical Malpractice Lawsuit

Medical malpractice claims can involve multiple parties who may be held liable for the patient’s injuries or damages. The responsible parties in medical malpractice claims typically include:

Healthcare Providers: This includes doctors, surgeons, nurses, anesthesiologists, dentists, and other licensed medical professionals directly responsible for the patient’s care. They may be liable for diagnosis, treatment, surgery, medication, or patient care errors.
Hospitals and Healthcare Facilities: Hospitals, clinics, and healthcare facilities can be held responsible for the actions of their employees, including doctors and nurses. They may also be liable for inadequate staffing, training, or maintenance issues with medical devices.
Pharmaceutical Companies: In cases involving medication errors, pharmaceutical companies that manufacture and market drugs may be liable if the medication itself is defective or if there is inadequate warning about potential side effects.
Medical Device Manufacturers: Manufacturers of medical devices, such as surgical instruments or implants, may be liable if their devices are defective or fail to provide proper instructions.
Pharmacies and Pharmacists: Pharmacies and pharmacists may be held responsible for medication errors, including dispensing the wrong medication or dosage or failing to provide proper instructions to the patient.
Radiologists and Pathologists: Specialists like radiologists and pathologists who interpret diagnostic tests or lab results may be liable for misinterpretations or misdiagnoses.

Determining liability in medical malpractice claims can be complex. An experienced medical malpractice lawyer in Easton, PA, can help patients and families navigate these challenges.

Is a Certificate of Merit Required to File a Medical Malpractice Claim in Pennsylvania?

A Certificate of Merit is required when filing a medical malpractice claim in Easton, PA. This prevents frivolous lawsuits against doctors and other healthcare professionals.

An expert medical witness must sign a Certificate of Merit verifying that they have reviewed the medical malpractice case, determined the care was below the standard, and that this substandard care was why the incident occurred.

How to Prove Medical Malpractice in Pennsylvania

Proving medical negligence is crucial to all personal injury cases. To do so, your Easton medical malpractice lawyer must establish the doctor-patient relationship before proving the four D’s of medical negligence: duty of care, deviation, direct cause, and damages.

Establishing the doctor-patient relationship is critical for medical malpractice claims. This signifies the physician or healthcare provider owed a duty of care, forming the basis for evaluating whether the standard of care was met.

Next, the medical standard of care is the level of care, skill, and treatment that a competent medical professional in the same field, under similar circumstances, would provide.

In medical malpractice claims, Easton medical malpractice lawyers must establish that the healthcare provider breached this standard of care. Expert testimony is often used to help the court or jury determine whether the injury was caused by a failure to provide adequate treatment.

Next, proving causation entails demonstrating that, had it not been for the healthcare provider’s negligence, the patient’s injury, illness, or condition would not have occurred or would have been less severe.

Finally, damages in medical malpractice claims can encompass a range of physical, emotional, and financial consequences.

Medical Malpractice Lawsuit Damages

Damages following a successful medical malpractice claim are designed to help the injured victim recover losses. At the Law Offices of Ed Shaughnessy, our personal injury lawyer in Easton, PA, will work towards recovering fair compensation for the following damages for our clients:

Medical bills, both past and future
Lost wages
Loss of earning capacity
Physical therapy
Mobility aids
Home health services
Loss of enjoyment of life
Loss of consortium
Emotional distress
Pain and suffering

Our medical malpractice lawyer in Easton, PA, may also pursue punitive damages if the healthcare provider’s actions were particularly egregious or showed a wanton disregard for the patient’s well-being, as these damages help to deter future similar negligence within the medical community.

Is There a Cap on Medical Malpractice Damages in Pennsylvania?

Pennsylvania does not have a cap on compensatory damages for medical malpractice cases. While there is no limit on economic and non-economic damages, the state does cap the amount of punitive damages a person can recover. Pennsylvania caps these damages at three times the amount of the compensatory damages.

Pennsylvania Medical Malpractice Statute of Limitations

The Pennsylvania statute of limitations for medical malpractice cases is two years from when the negligent act occurred. However, in some personal injury cases, the two-year timeframe can begin when the patient discovers their medical injury.

Quickly meeting with an experienced medical malpractice lawyer in Easton, PA, is essential since these personal injury cases are incredibly complex. Failure to speak with an Easton injury attorney within the statute of limitations can prohibit you from recovering compensation for your injuries.

Experienced Easton Medical Malpractice Attorney

The medical malpractice lawyers at the Law Offices of Ed Shaughnessy stand as a beacon of legal knowledge and unwavering dedication when seeking justice in complex medical malpractice and personal injury cases. If you need to recover compensation for negligent acts, choosing the Law Offices of Ed Shaughnessy means choosing a trusted injury attorney who will tirelessly fight to secure the best possible outcome for your medical malpractice and personal injury claims.

To schedule a free initial consultation with one of our experienced Easton medical malpractice lawyers, call 610-258-9955 today.