Atlanta Medical Malpractice Attorney
We all expect doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers to do their best when it comes to treating their patients. And for the most part that is exactly what they do, which is why most people should not have a problem with putting their trust in the hands of healthcare professionals. However, medical professionals are still people and people can make mistakes, and when a healthcare professional makes a mistake it can have dire consequences for their patients.
When a doctor or other healthcare professional makes a mistake, it is called medical malpractice and it is a subcategory of personal injury law. Personal injury law is about accidents that are caused by the negligence of another person, which is why medical malpractice falls under the umbrella of personal injury law. At the Issa Law Firm, we are committed to helping the victims of medical malpractice in Atlanta. We are a medical malpractice law firm whose attorneys have decades of combined experience helping victims of medical malpractice recover the compensation that they need. We will do the same for you, so get in touch with us if you have suffered from medical malpractice in Atlanta.
What is Medical Malpractice?
Medical malpractice is when a healthcare professional, such as a doctor or nurse causes an injury to their patient because of negligence or an act of omission. The negligent act could be a mistake in the diagnosis of the patient, the treatment of the patient, or in the aftercare of the patient. Since medical malpractice is a part of personal injury law, a malpractice case must have the following elements:
- The healthcare professional violated their standard of care. Under the law, medical professionals must provide the kind of medical treatment that a reasonable professional would under similar circumstances. If a medical professional does not do so, then they have violated the standard of care and are considered to be negligent.
- The negligence caused an injury to a patient. In order for a medical malpractice claim to happen, the negligence of the healthcare professional must have led to an injury. It is certainly bad when the professional violates their standard of care, but it only becomes malpractice if it results in an injury.
- The person suffered damages because of their injury. A medical malpractice claim involves the person making the claim recovering compensation for their damages, which means that they must have suffered damages in the first place. Those damages could include significant medical expenses, pain and suffering, loss of income, as well as permanent or temporary disability.
Examples of Medical Malpractice
The following are some common examples of malpractice that a medical malpractice lawyer can help you with:
- Unnecessary surgery
- Misdiagnosis
- Failure to diagnose
- Improper prescription
- The right prescription but in the wrong dosage amount
- Surgical errors
- Prematurely discharging a patient
- Not taking a patient’s medical history into account
- Poor or nonexistent aftercare
Why You Need an Atlanta Medical Malpractice Attorney
Medical malpractice cases can be complicated because it can be difficult for the layperson to know whether a healthcare professional made a mistake or not. As such, expert testimony is required and a medical malpractice attorney can assemble the experts who can testify as to why the medical professional was negligent. In fact, Georgia law states that the plaintiff in a medical malpractice case must file an affidavit that has been prepared by a qualified medical expert. That expert will offer their sworn opinion of the negligent act committed by the healthcare professional.
A medical malpractice lawyer will also make sure that the victim’s claim gets filed on time. The statute of limitations for a medical malpractice case in Georgia is two years, so if a claim is not filed within that period, then the case will become ineligible. There is an exception if the injury to the patient is not immediately apparent or if the malpractice caused the patient’s death years after it occurred. In those cases, there is a statute of repose that allows the patient or their family to file a lawsuit five years after the malpractice occurred.
Another exception is if a foreign body was left inside of a patient, in those situations a case must be brought forward within one year of the discovery of the foreign body.
Contact Us if You Are a Victim of Medical Malpractice in Atlanta
At The Issa Law Firm, we will use our knowledge and experience to help anyone in Atlanta who is the victim of medical malpractice. No one should have to suffer because of poor treatment by a medical professional, which is why our medical malpractice firm will help anyone who was hurt because of the negligence of a doctor or any other kind of healthcare professional.
We will help you to file your malpractice claim and we will help to find medical experts to testify on your behalf. If a lawsuit becomes necessary, then we are not afraid to take on any hospital or clinic for our clients. So if you were mistreated by a medical professional, then come to the Issa Law Firm to get the treatment that you deserve.
Related Practice Areas:
- Truck Accidents
- Injured in Accident
- Car Accidents
- Motorcycle Accidents
- Wrongful Death
- Premises Liability
- Slip and Fall