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Charles County Maryland Medical Malpractice Lawyer

If you have been harmed by medical professionals, you deserve the opportunity to take legal action against them. Patients in Charles County trust their doctors, surgeons, and nurses to provide them with a certain level of care. When these healthcare providers engage in gross misconduct, victims must hold them accountable. By filing a medical malpractice lawsuit against negligent doctors in Maryland, you can prevent further harm from coming to other patients. Doctors may lose their licenses, and the fact that they are no longer allowed to practice medicine may save someone’s life. But more importantly, a medical malpractice lawsuit can provide you with enough compensation to cover your medical expenses, missed wages, emotional distress, and any other damages you might have experienced.

What is the Definition of Medical Malpractice in Maryland?

Medical malpractice occurs when a medical professional provides care that is inconsistent with the accepted standards of practice across the healthcare industry. Unlike other types of personal injury, a medical professional is not automatically negligent because you were harmed under their care. For example, a doctor may attempt a risky life-saving surgery that does not quite go to plan, saving your life but leaving you with a permanent disability in the process. Certain mistakes may not be defined as medical malpractice, and usually, medical errors must be consistent with “gross negligence” for a claim to be accepted.

The accepted standards of practice are quite detailed, and they may vary depending on the medical field. For example, nurses may have slightly different standards of practice compared to occupational therapists, and so on. For example, one of the accepted standards of practice for physical therapists is to:

“Use only methods and procedures within the scope of the practice of limited physical therapy.”

This means that if a physical therapist attempts to perform heart bypass surgery despite not being qualified to do so, they will almost certainly be found guilty of medical malpractice.

The Statute of Limitations for Medical Malpractice Lawsuits

The statute of limitations can be filed five years after the accident or three years after the plaintiff became aware of their own injuries. You might be wondering how a patient could possibly be unaware of their own injuries, but this is actually quite common. For example, a patient could go into a coma after a terrible medical mistake. They might remain in a comatose state for over a decade before finally regaining consciousness. Even though five years have passed since the injury, the plaintiff can still sue because they only became aware of their injury after regaining consciousness. The same logic can apply to many other situations, such as a surgeon leaving a foreign object inside someone’s body after surgery.

The Certificate of Qualified Expert

When filing a medical malpractice lawsuit, it is important to get medical experts on your side. These experts can testify on your behalf during the trial, showing the court that what you experienced went against the accepted standards of practice in the medical community. You also need to get something called a “certificate of qualified expert” before you can even move forward with your lawsuit. This is a sworn statement from a medical expert stating that the defendant failed to meet the accepted standard of care and caused your injuries as a direct result.

Examples of Medical Malpractice

When can you sue for medical malpractice? Here are a few examples:

  • Birth Injury: Birth injury is a general term that refers to any harm your child experiences during their birth. This might include fractures, brachial palsy, bruising, forceps marks, facial paralysis, and much more.
  • Botched Surgery: Surgeons can botch their surgeries in a number of ways. They may operate on the wrong body part by mistake. They may remove an organ when what you really needed was a transplant. They might also leave a foreign object inside your body by mistake.
  • Failure to Diagnose: Failure to diagnose often leads to life-altering or life-ending consequences. For example, a doctor could fail to diagnose breast cancer despite regular check-ups and routine tests.
  • Misdiagnosis: Misdiagnosis can be just as bad – resulting in surgeries that are not even necessary and other consequences. For example, you might have had a mastectomy despite never having breast cancer in the first place.

Where Can I Find a Medical Malpractice Lawyer in Charles County?

If you have been searching for a Charles County medical malpractice lawyer, look no further than the Law Office of Robert Castro. We know how life-altering and traumatic medical mistakes can be, and we are ready to help you hold negligent medical professionals accountable. You do not need to simply sit back and accept the consequences of these medical blunders. Book a consultation today and get started with an effective action plan.

For more information or questions, contact the Law Office of Robert Castro to speak to an experienced lawyer at (301) 870-1200. The Law Office of Robert Castro is located at 2670 Crain Highway #411, Waldorf, MD 20601.