Atlanta Medical Malpractice Lawyer

Medical malpractice is the legal term for a doctor whose treatment of your medical condition falls below the acceptable standard of care for his or her profession. Medical malpractice is a form of negligence, and it is essentially when the doctor does not do what they should have done. Not all people that sustain treatment-related injuries or have suffered mistreatment at the hands of doctors will have cases that qualify as medical malpractice. It will take a long road in these cases to see them through, because medical malpractice cases are very difficult and they take a very experienced Atlanta medical malpractice lawyer to see them from the initial client call and interview through to a settlement or verdict.

If you or a loved one are suffering from injuries or difficulties sustained while under medical care, our aggressive Atlanta personal injury lawyers are here to help you recover the damages you deserve while you focus on the recovery your body and your life need.

Elements of Malpractice

Standard of care is a somewhat nebulous term, because the standard that is required to be upheld by one doctor, and what that doctor believes that standard of care to be, will be different from what another doctor believes. Sometimes, it takes several different experts, and many other doctors, to evaluate a case in order to determine whether or not an act has fallen below a standard of care. As someone who has been injured, or as the family representing someone who has been injured, it is important to work with an Atlanta medical malpractice attorney who has working relationships with a wide range of medical professionals and experts who can establish whether or not the treatment that the patient received actually did fall below the standard of care.

What Forms of Medical Malpractice Are Common in Atlanta?

The most common form of medical malpractice in our area is surgery performed by doctors that ends up resulting in a serious, long-term injury to the patient. These are surgeries that fall below the standard of care because of an error or omission by the doctor, or situations where the doctor’s negligent act falls below that standard of care, causing the patient to suffers life-altering injury.

This can often happen in surgeries that involve internal joint or tissue replacements, such as knee or shoulder surgery. In the case of a surgery that plans to employ foreign objects, such as screws, to repair the bodily function, medical malpractice cases can arise if the foreign objects have not been absolutely, completely, and utterly sterilized and prepared for insertion into the body, which is a very vulnerable environment when accepting unnatural materials.

When a doctor is tasked with repairing ligaments, tendons, or cartilage for a patient, failure to live up to the standard of care required by such a surgery can leave the patient in considerable worse condition than they were before electing to have surgery done, thereby warranting contact with a medical malpractice attorney in Atlanta.

Hospitals Where Negligence May Occur

As the largest city in the Southeastern United States, Atlanta is a major urban hub, whose hospitals attract patients from the area as well as patients that come to Atlanta for the purpose of seeking reputable medical treatment. The hospital that is most influential in the annual number of medical malpractice cases in Atlanta is Grady Memorial Hospital, located downtown. Grady has hundreds of doctors, thousands of nurses, and many support staff members and employees working in its mammoth facility downtown. The sheer size of the institution plays a role in its number of medical malpractices and injuries reported in the metropolitan area each year.

Another major Atlanta area hospital is Piedmont Hospital on Peachtree Road, and is likely the second largest hospital in the area. Piedmont has an excellent reputation, but no matter how reputable the hospital, the doctors working inside are still human and do not always live up to the standard of care.

Emory University’s medical system is world renowned, and the Emory University Hospital is another major medical center in Atlanta that is smaller than Grady, but still has a staff of doctors and nurses that are tasked with treating thousands of patients each year. Emory operates both the Emory Saint Joseph’s Hospital as well as the Emory Johns Creek Hospital.

Other Atlanta area hospitals include the Northside Hospital and its derivative, Scottish Rite Hospital, which is focused on children’s medicine, as well as the CAD Medical Center, Atlanta Medical Center, and Eastside Medical Center. If you or a loved one have suffered injuries in any of these hospitals due to the negligence of a doctor, consult with an Atlanta medical malpractice lawyer today.

What is the Function of a Lawyer in a Medical Negligence Case?

An attorney functions as the central commander in a medical malpractice case. An Atlanta medical malpractice attorney knows who to put in and who can assist him or her in building a case. Our team members have litigation experience in trying cases all the way through to trial in front of the jury as well as relationships with subject matter experts that relate to medical negligence injuries.

An attorney should also know how to manage the case and keep the client educated and informed, so they can understand how the case is developing and unfolding. This is to prevent the individual from being left in the dark when an attorney assists in the matter. In summary, an attorney should investigate, litigate, and advise his or her client. Therefore, if you have found yourself with a medical malpractice lawsuit, you should let an attorney handle your case with the strength and attention it deserves.

Importance of Hiring an Atlanta Medical Malpractice Attorney

Medical malpractice is a very complex area of law, and is not something that a person should tackle on their own. It is very difficult for an individual to represent themselves against the doctor and his or her insurance company. The facts, the subject matter expertise, and the experience necessary to see a case proven from its injuries to a verdict through to a settlement is simply too complex for someone not trained and experienced in medical malpractice litigation. It is important to have a relationship with an attorney who you can trust to do that for you.