In a bid to avoid nonsense and frivolous claims, most states have a rather complex procedure when it comes to filing medical malpractice cases. But if you know by heart that you’re indeed a victim of malpractice — which can come in the form of receiving a wrong diagnosis or experiencing damage due to a surgical error, among others — it is best to look for medical malpractice firms and hire a lawyer to help you out.
However for a lawyer to effectively fight for your rights, he or she must obtain several relevant information. This article aims to discuss just that.
Things Needed To Establish Causation
For a medical malpractice claim to be legally sound, lawyers must demonstrate causation — meaning the damage you’re suffering is indeed caused by the substandard medical service delivered by the opposing party. In order to do so, legal experts who work for medical malpractice firms must obtain several documents.
A list of your healthcare providers. More often than not, people tend to consult or go to more than one medical institution — may it be a hospital, a clinic, or a diagnostic center. Your lawyer will need your records from these healthcare providers to better trace and assess the cause of your current health condition.
A summary of your medical treatment. For your lawyer to get a good grasp of your situation, you’d need to prepare a brief summary of the medical treatment you’ve received. It’s also advisable to attach or submit photographs of your condition.
Medical records and documents in your possession. From medical bills to prescriptions and test results, it will also be helpful if you can provide your lawyer with the relevant medical records and documents you have in your hand. These will also come handy when it comes to computing the damages you can claim.
Proof of lost earnings. Speaking of the amount you can claim, your lawyer would also need to get proof of the earnings you’ve lost due to medical malpractice. These can include tax records and pay stubs.
Now That You Have These Documents, What’s Next
You won’t only need a trusted lawyer when filing a medical malpractice case. To validate your argument, you’d need help and a statement from a credible medical witness. He or she is tasked to evaluate and state that, indeed, your condition is caused by medical malpractice.
Once you’ve already filed your lawsuit, your lawyer should be able to guide and represent you throughout this rather tedious and long process — from the “discovery” procedure that allows both parties to investigate one another’s claims and defenses to settlement and mediation to the trial proper.
Tips On Hiring The Right Lawyer
Knowing how crucial the role of your lawyer is, you should be careful when choosing the one who will defend your rights. Here are some tips to help you out:
Check if the lawyer indeed specializes in medical malpractice
Look for a lawyer who works for one of the most reputable medical malpractice firms in your area
Find out if he or she belongs to legally-acknowledged lawyers’ associations
Look for online reviews about his or her previous performance on medical malpractice cases
If you have a malpractice case, don’t just trust any medical malpractice firms you’ll find online. Only get the best experts to help you. Contact us at Montross Miller today.
