Rancho Santa Margarita Medical Malpractice Lawyer

If you have sustained a medical injury in the care of a Rancho Santa Margarita doctor or surgeon, you might have a claim for damages. State law allows for the victims of medical malpractice to seek compensation from negligent hospitals or medical professionals. This process is complicated, but an experienced injury attorney could help explain your options clearly.

Taking on a medical malpractice claim may seem intimidating. The doctor responsible for your injury has medical expertise that you lack, and likely has the backing of an insurance company. Thankfully, you could even the odds with a Rancho Santa Margarita medical malpractice lawyer.

Types of Medical Malpractice

There are countless medical procedures performed each day. Every one of them impacts a patient differently. However, even seemingly minor procedures could have a devastating effect if something goes wrong.

Generally speaking, medical malpractice incidents fall into one of five broad categories. These categories include:

Misdiagnosis

Misdiagnosis involve the failure to identify what ails a patient properly. This could include identifying the wrong illness or incorrectly determining there is nothing wrong.

Delayed Diagnosis

Malpractice could occur even when the correct illness is identified. If that identification is unreasonably delayed, it could lead to the condition worsening needlessly.

Failure to Treat

In some cases, the doctor correctly diagnoses the illness immediately. However, if the doctor or hospital fails to take the necessary steps to treat the illness, it could have permanent consequences.

Surgical Errors

Mistakes during surgery are often devastating. These errors could make the initial condition worse or cause new wounds that were completely avoidable.

Birth Injuries

Few medical mistakes impact a family like a birth injury. In some cases, mistakes at birth have devastating consequences for both the mother and child. While these injuries often occur at the time of birth, some medical errors that occur during the pregnancy only become obvious during labor or delivery.

Recoverable Losses in a Medical Malpractice Case

Like with any civil lawsuit, the purpose of a medical malpractice claim is to obtain monetary compensation for the injuries and damages caused by negligent care. However, there are some rules on damages in malpractice cases that do not impact other types of lawsuits.

State law places a limit on the recovery of non-economic damages. Non-economic damages compensate a plaintiff for intangible losses like pain and suffering. In a medical malpractice case, the most a jury could award to an injured patient is $250,000.

This cap does not apply to economic damages, however. These damages are measurable, meaning a Rancho Santa Margarita medical malpractice attorney could provide direct evidence of their value. Typical examples include lost wages or hospital bills. There is no limit applied to the recovery of these damages.

An attorney representing a Rancho Santa Margarita medical malpractice victim could also pursue punitive damages in some cases. These damages are not always available, and juries rarely award them. However, punitive damages are appropriate if a plaintiff shows their doctor acted with fraud or malice.

Reach out to a Rancho Santa Margarita Medical Malpractice Attorney Right Away

Understanding the cause of a medical malpractice claim is difficult for anyone without medical training. While anyone might understand the cause of a car accident, there is nuance to medical procedures. The right attorney could help you understand those nuances.

If you are ready to hold a negligent doctor, surgeon, or hospital accountable, you could benefit from the guidance of a legal professional. Contact a Rancho Santa Margarita medical malpractice lawyer to get your case started.