Bridgewater Medical Malpractice Lawyers
Patients trust healthcare providers and place their well-being in the hands of medical professionals on a regular basis. What patients don’t expect is being caused harm during treatment.
Unfortunately, the healthcare system isn’t infallible. Errors, from surgical mistakes to crucial misdiagnoses, can occur despite best efforts. Mistakes like these can have devastating consequences, causing serious injuries or even death. These are tragic outcomes for someone seeking help.
The aftermath of medical malpractice is emotionally crippling and can have life-altering consequences for patients and their families. The impact of medical malpractice can be felt even before a patient realizes they’ve been harmed. Beyond physical injuries, victims often experience significant emotional distress. Anxiety, depression, PTSD, and a deep fear of hospitals are common. Patients feel overwhelmed, betrayed, and unsure how to proceed. The fear of being harmed again may lead patients to distrust future medical care, potentially neglecting essential treatment due to past trauma.
This trauma can fundamentally change a wronged patient’s life, affecting their ability to work, enjoy activities, and function as they used to. In these situations, it’s crucial for victims to receive fair compensation. This should cover not only physical injuries but also the lasting psychological effects. Additionally, families who bear the emotional and financial burden of medical malpractice deserve to be compensated for their losses.
Why NOVA Injury Law?
At NOVA Injury Law our team of lawyers have experience in medical negligence law. In Nova Scotia, medical malpractice claims fall under the province’s Medical Liability Act and laws of general negligence, which establishes a framework for pursuing claims against healthcare professionals, including doctors, nurses, and hospitals. We offer advice on cases ranging from surgical errors, misdiagnoses, and incorrect medication prescriptions, to injuries sustained by parents or infants during birth.
I Suspect I May be a Victim of Medical Malpractice – What Should I do?
When seeking medical care, we trust healthcare providers to act in our best interest. Unfortunately, mistakes can happen, including surgical and treatment errors. These mistakes can have lasting impacts.
If you believe you’ve been a victim of medical malpractice, it’s important to take action. Document everything related to your treatment and injuries. More importantly, consult with a lawyer specializing in medical malpractice as soon as possible.
Medical malpractice cases are complex and challenging. Due to the significant legal resources available to healthcare providers, it’s crucial to have an experienced legal team on your side. A medical malpractice lawyer can help you understand your rights, navigate the legal process, and fight for the compensation you deserve.
What Types of Harm Can Happen Due to Medical Mistakes?
The most common forms of injuries are:
- Misdiagnoses: This occurs when a doctor makes an incorrect diagnosis, preventing you from receiving the right treatment, or potentially leading to unnecessary prescriptions and procedures.
- Delayed Diagnoses: Similar to a misdiagnosis, a delayed diagnosis happens when the correct illness is eventually identified, but the delay worsens the condition due to lack of timely treatment.
- Failure to Treat: Even with a correct diagnosis, a doctor might fail to recommend proper treatment. This could involve early discharge, inadequate follow-up care, or not referring you to a specialist. Depending on the situation, this can lead to a worsening illness, injuries, or even death.
- Surgical Errors: These range from mistakes in technique to conducting incorrect procedures, unnecessary surgeries, or even leaving medical tools or instruments inside a patient post-surgery. Surgical errors can cause lasting injuries and require additional surgeries to fix complications.
- Birth Injuries: These can be severe and include inadequate prenatal care, negligence during childbirth causing harm to mother or baby, and other preventable mistakes. Birth injuries can have lifelong consequences and may lead to significant settlements.
- Medical Product Liability: This occurs when a faulty medical device harms a patient. These injuries may not be discovered until well after implantation. In such cases, the manufacturer may be held liable if they knew or should have known about the defect.
What Does a Successful Case Require?
- A physician-patient relationship, which leads to a duty of care;
- A breach of the standard of care that was clearly caused by the medical provider; and
- Evidence that harm was caused, including physical and psychological injuries.
Medical malpractice cases are intricate and demand specialized legal knowledge. Our team of experienced medical malpractice lawyers understands the complexities of these cases and offers compassionate, high-quality representation to patients in Bridgewater.
One of our skilled lawyers will help guide you through the process and consider:
- Was your injury the result of a mistake or an unpredictable accident during medical care?
- Did the medical provider fail to provide adequate care during your healing process?
- Should the medical provider have been aware of the complications caused by your treatment?
- Was the treatment provided within a reasonable scope of their profession?
- Was your injury the result of a poorly designed or faulty medical product?
Why You Need a Lawyer for Your Medical Malpractice Claim
Facing a medical malpractice claim can feel overwhelming. A personal injury lawyer with expertise in medical malpractice can be a valuable asset.
Here’s how a lawyer can help:
- Build a Strong Case: Medical evidence is crucial in malpractice claims. Our team, including a medical professional, can help gather and analyze complex medical records to support your case.
- Reduce Your Burden: Medical malpractice cases can be lengthy. We offer free case reviews and work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you won’t pay legal fees unless we win compensation for you.
- Seek Fair Compensation: Our lawyers can fight to ensure you receive the compensation you deserve for your injuries.
Don’t wait to seek legal help. Contact us today for a free consultation.
Time Limits for Filing a Claim
Victims of medical malpractice have a limited amount of time to file a claim and it differs by province. Typically, patients have two years to start a civil lawsuit, from the date the injury is discovered. However, there are some exceptions to this rule so it is crucial to act quickly and seek the assistance of a personal injury lawyer.
The standard of proof in a medical malpractice claim is high. Most often, a medical expert in the same field of medicine as the negligent healthcare professional will need to provide an opinion on the standard of care that should have been provided. This means that medical malpractice cases in Nova Scotia are generally complex and require specialized legal expertise.
It’s important to consult a lawyer to understand these time limits and ensure you file your claim within the appropriate time frame.
Call Our Bridgewater Medical Malpractice Lawyers Today
Call NOVA Injury Law immediately to set up your Free Case Review.
Dr. Laura Mitchell, our resident physician, is a practicing emergency room physician with special training in occupational medicine. Having an expert physician on hand means that our team of medical malpractice lawyers can assess injuries and start building a file of compelling medical evidence to support your claim.
This is part of the reason that NOVA Injury Law is considered to be the premier personal injury law firm in Nova Scotia, and is one of the reasons why NOVA Injury Law has been able to secure greater sums of compensation than any other firm in Nova Scotia over the past few years.
Our lawyers are also part of the community in Bridgewater, Nova Scotia – so we can work with professionals, community groups and volunteers all over the city to get you the support you need.
We understand that facing up to large healthcare insurers is daunting – but rest assured, we do it everyday. With our no upfront cost contingency fee arrangements, you should be confident in our abilities to get you the result that you deserve.
If you believe that you or someone close to you is suffering from an injury caused by medical malpractice, do not hesitate to reach out to the lawyers at NOVA Injury Law.
Book in to get your Free Case Review for a medical practice case in Bridgewater today! There is absolutely no obligation or cost to learn more about your case. Remember our contingency fee agreements mean you don’t pay a cent unless you claim results in a settlement or award. Questions for Jeff Mitchell? Contact Jeff now at jeff@novainjurylaw.com or you can reach us by calling 902-702-3042. Our medical malpractice team is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to support you and your loved ones. Learn how we can help you and your family now!