MARYLAND Medical Malpractice Attorneys
Compassionate & Aggressive Legal Representation in Prince Georges, Charles, Calvert & Anne Arundel
When a healthcare professional fails to deliver the utmost standard of care, it is the patient who ultimately suffers the consequences. People put their trust in healthcare professionals to deliver desired results while providing a general standard of care for patients. Unfortunately, that is not always the case as many patients endure painful experiences that result in more harm than good.
Our Medical Malpractice Lawyers Are Ready to Help
If you or a loved one has suffered a serious injury or death as a result of medical malpractice, it is crucial that you have an experienced medical malpractice lawyer in Maryland standing by your side. The experienced lawyers at Potter Burnett Law are dedicated to protecting the rights of patients who have fallen victim to medical negligence and malpractice.
Call (301) 804-6784 or contact us online today to speak with our trusted medical malpractice lawyers in Maryland for a free consultation!
What is Medical Malpractice?
Medical malpractice is defined as any act or omission by a physician during the treatment of a patient that deviates from accepted norms of practice in the medical community and causes an injury to the patient.
All healthcare providers must comply with “the standard of care.” The standard of care for a healthcare provider in Maryland is what a reasonably prudent healthcare provider would do under the same or similar circumstances.
If a healthcare provider fails to act reasonably under the circumstances, then he or she has “breached” the standard of care. But a breach alone is not malpractice – the breach by the healthcare provider must cause damage. The damage caused by a medical mistake varies but usually involves a serious injury or death.
Types of Medical Malpractice Cases
Medical malpractice cases our Maryland medical malpractice law firm has handled for our valued clients over the years include:
- Birth injuries and trauma
- Cancer misdiagnoses
- Defective products and drugs
- Anesthesia errors
- Hematomas
- Hospital errors
- Medication mistakes
- Nursing mistakes
- Paralysis
- Professional negligence
- Spinal cord injuries
- Surgical errors
- Zantac malpractice
- Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy
How Common are Medical Malpractice Errors?
Medical errors are the third leading cause of death in the U.S., according to Johns Hopkins. This accounts for nearly 250,000 deaths a year.
Compensation for Medical Malpractice Cases
In medical malpractice cases, it is important to know exactly who is eligible to be held liable. Doctors, nurses, anesthesiologists, pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, and healthcare facilities are all potential parties to be found negligent in these cases.
Medical Malpractice Damages
There are two forms of damages that can be awarded:
- Economic damages are meant to cover medical bills and lost wages.
- Non-economic damages are designed to compensate victims and their families for physical pain and suffering, emotional damages, loss of quality of life, and loss of life.
Potter Burnett Law is committed to righting the wrongs caused by medical negligence and malpractice while helping clients to receive the justice and compensation they deserve in a medical malpractice lawsuit.
Medical Malpractice FAQs
How do I know if my injury was malpractice or a complication of the procedure?
In general, it is malpractice if the injury or “bad outcome” could have been prevented or should have been avoided. On the other hand, if the healthcare provider acted reasonably and took reasonable precautions and an injury resulted anyway, the injury might be a known complication.
Determining whether an injury was malpractice or a known complication often involves an expert opinion by another healthcare provider in the same or similar area of medicine and your attorney will investigate the care and treatment to determine this answer.
Who will pay me if there’s a settlement or verdict against a healthcare provider?
Just like you have car insurance, most healthcare providers have medical malpractice insurance that will pay the settlement or judgment. If a claim is against a hospital, most hospitals are self-insured for the actions of their healthcare providers.
What happens after my free consultation?
If an attorney determines the injury or death may be the result of a medical error the next step would be to obtain all of the relevant medical records and have them reviewed by a medical expert. Again, the investigation is at NO COST to you. If the experts believe there was a breach of the standard of care that caused you or your loved one harm, the next step would be filing a lawsuit and pursuing your claim.
How long after an injury do I have to file a medical malpractice claim?
In Maryland, the time to file a medical practice, also known as the Statute of Limitations, is generally 3 years from the time of the injury.
If the injury is not immediately known, victims have 3 years from when the injury is or should have been discovered. But, absent special circumstances, a lawsuit must be filed within 5 years from the date of the malpractice. Common cases where there is a delay in discovering an injury often involve cancer that should have been found earlier.
To make things even more confusing, in cases involving children, the time to bring a lawsuit starts running when the child turns 18 years old regardless of when the injury occurred. If you think you or a loved one is a victim of medical malpractice, you should take action immediately. If your case is past the statute of limitations, no attorney in the world can fix it.
How much do medical malpractice lawyers cost?
At Potter Burnett Law we handle our personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis. That means the consultation is free and we work on your case without getting paid until you receive a recovery. You do not pay anything unless, and until, we secure a settlement or verdict for you. No money is required upfront.
Related Reading:
- What Documents Do You Need in a Medical Malpractice Lawsuit?
- Dehydration and Malnutrition Signs in Nursing Homes Residents
- 6 Steps of a Medical Malpractice Lawsuit
- Types of Damages in Maryland Medical Malpractice Cases
- Do You Have a Medical Malpractice Case?
Call our Maryland office today to discuss your potential medical malpractice claim with our attorneys at (301) 804-6784.
Getting the Results You deserve
Read Some of Most Notable Case Results-
$26,000,000 Settlement Vehicle Defect
In 1996, a Clarksburg man was in a motor vehicle accident while driving his 1987 Ford F-150 pickup.
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$5,900,000 settlement Premises Liability
Debbie Potter secured a $5,900,000 settlement of a premises liability case in 2023.
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$2,900,000 Medication Error Settlement
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$1,380,000 Car Accident Verdict
Our client suffered a comminuted fracture of his arm when a commercial vehicle pulled out in front of him on the highway.
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$1,100,000 Car Accident Verdict
Baltimore mother and daughter rear-ended on route 301 in Virginia. Physical therapy treatment only.
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$1,068,000 Car Accident Verdict
Charles County client injured when a car turned left in front of him.
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$993,650 Car Accident Verdict
Woman rear ended by a hit and run vehicle and suffered lower back injury.
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$750,000 Anesthesia Error Settlement
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$650,000 Car Accident Verdict
Client was a passenger in a car, and suffered serious injuries.
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More Than 60 Years of Experience Fighting for Injured Victims
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