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Unfortunately, some doctors cause harm to their patients
through mistakes, ignorance, negligence, lack of skill or a
misdiagnosis. The result is medical malpractice. Since 1911,
Marks & Harrison medical malpractice attorneys has been fighting for the rights of
injured people and their families in Richmond and throughout Virginia. Our VA personal injury law firm was built on the fundamental belief that our clients come
first. Helping injured people is our only business.
Despite bringing health and hope to millions of U.S.
citizens every day, far too many Americans are injured or
killed due to medical mistakes. In November 1999, the
Institute of Medicine (IOM) released a report estimating that
as many as 98,000 patients die each year as a result of
medical errors in hospitals. Compound this number with the
unreported mistakes made in other healthcare settings
(physicians’ offices, urgent care centers, nursing homes,
pharmacies and home care) and the magnitude of medical
malpractice becomes staggering. In addition to the high costs
of medical mistakes in terms of lives and quality of life, our
nation pays an estimated $17 billion per year in costs due to
preventable errors.
If you or a loved one has been harmed due to the negligence
of the healthcare industry, you need a Richmond medical
malpractice lawyer with
experience in these types of complex cases. On behalf of our
clients, Marks & Harrison may hire physicians, nurses,
vocational rehabilitation specialists and forensic economists
to prove damages, future medical costs and lost earnings. We
may also hire psychologists and others to testify to emotional
loss, pain and suffering, and loss of companionship.
In the state of Virginia, any medical malpractice lawsuit
for injury (as opposed to death) must be brought within two
years from the time of injury. However, foreign object cases
(when an object is left in the client’s body after surgery)
must be brought within one year from the date upon which the
foreign object is discovered or reasonably should have been
discovered, but no longer than 10 years from the date of the
occurrence. Other circumstances, such as fraud or concealment
to prevent the discovery of the injury, or incapacity of the
victim, may extend the statute of limitations. A parent’s
action for medical expenses caused by injury to a minor must
be brought within five years. It is best to
contact
a VA medical malpractice attorney as soon as you suspect you may have a case.
In legal terms, healthcare professionals are only required
to meet a standard of care that is ordinary or normal. When a
physician is determined to be negligent, it means that he or
she has failed to use the same degree of skill and learning,
under the same or similar circumstances, that are used by
other members of the medical profession. Some of the most
common ways that medical malpractice occurs is through failure
or errors in timely diagnosis and ordering appropriate
treatment, ordering necessary tests and proper medication,
consulting with specialists, and surgical procedures. Although
there are numerous types of malpractice claims, here are the
most common:
If we are able to prove your medical malpractice case and
the medical provider is found negligent, then you are entitled
to recover “damages.” Damages are intended to help you
return to the condition you were in prior to the injury. There
are several forms of damages that you may recover in a medical
malpractice award – economic (for lost wages or medical
expenses), non-economic (for pain and suffering), or punitive
(to punish reckless behavior) damages. You may also receive
compensation for future medical expenses and loss of future
earnings. Punitive damages occur only in rare cases when it is
proved that the medical practitioner had malicious intent.
At Marks & Harrison, we place our clients’ interests
above all else. Contact
our Richmond medical malpractice lawyers today for a free, no-obligation, and confidential
consultation. Our lawyers will analyze your case and advise
whether you are entitled to compensation. If we don't think
you need an attorney, we will tell you right away. To review
the experience of our medical malpractice attorneys, please see:
Recent Significant Results
Firm News & Press
For more information on personal injury cases in Virginia,
please review:
Personal Injury
Personal Injury Frequently
Asked Questions (FAQs)
Personal Injury Legal
Glossary
Contact us today by calling toll free at 1-800-283-2202. Our
phones are answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can
also submit a Case
Evaluation online.
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