Were you or a loved one harmed because of a medical error in Lancaster, PA? You may be able to hold the negligent doctor or healthcare provider liable for your damages. An experienced Lancaster medical malpractice lawyer at Marzzacco Niven & Associates can help you fight to recover fair compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
Collectively, our lawyers have over 120 years of experience standing up for injured clients like you. We’ve already used our skills to recover tens of millions of dollars for our clients.
We’d be happy to stand up and protect your legal rights. Call our law offices in Lancaster, Pennsylvania at (717) 616-2954 to learn more about how an experienced attorney can help with your claim.
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How Marzzacco Niven & Associates Can Help With a Medical Malpractice Claim in Lancaster
Doctors and healthcare providers owe their patients an important duty. When you seek medical care, you’re literally trusting your doctor with your life. When that trust is breached, you deserve to hold the responsible parties accountable.
That said, Pennsylvania’s medical malpractice laws are complex. You’ll have to comply with detailed requirements before an insurance company will even consider paying your claim. You’ll need the best possible injury attorney in Lancaster by your side.
At Marzzacco Niven & Associates, our lawyers have been listed as Super Lawyers, The National Trial Lawyers “Top 40 Under 40,” and the Best Lawyers of America.
When you hire us, you’ll have an entire legal team to:
- Determine causation and prove liability
- Hire leading experts and specialists to support your case
- Calculate the fair value of your medical malpractice claim
- Stand up for you when the insurer tries to downplay your losses
- Negotiate with the medical malpractice insurance companies on your behalf
Our lawyers aren’t afraid to take your case to trial if the insurance company refuses to offer an acceptable settlement. For more information about how a Lancaster personal injury lawyer can help with your case, call our law firm for a free initial consultation today.
How Common Is Medical Malpractice?
According to research from Johns Hopkins Medical Center, medical errors may be the third leading cause of death in the United States. Unfortunately, Pennsylvania ranked number two on the list of states with the highest medical malpractice payouts for 2021.
Our lawyers in Lancaster handle all types of medical malpractice claims, including those involving:
- Emergency room errors
- Surgical errors
- Anesthesia errors
- Birth injuries
- Medication errors
- Defective medical devices
- Failure to obtain informed consent
- Nursing negligence
- Hospital negligence
- Hospital-acquired infections
- Pharmaceutical errors
- Radiology errors
Do you suspect you were a victim of medical malpractice? It’s never too early to ask for legal advice. Our experienced lawyers would be happy to help, so give us a quick call for a free initial consultation today.
What Is My Lancaster Medical Malpractice Case Worth?
Your health is your most valuable asset. If you were the victim of medical negligence, it can be incredibly different to put a price tag on the harm you’ve suffered. Understanding your case value is also the only way to make sure your settlement is fair.
The insurance company knows how much your case is worth. They’ll use calculators and multipliers and compare the harm you’ve suffered to the harm sustained by victims in the past. Still, it’s important to evaluate your unique case on the merits to make sure you’re getting the full compensation you deserve.
Our lawyers at Marzzacco Niven & Associates will carefully evaluate the circumstances of your case, including factors such as:
- The nature of the injury or harm you’ve suffered
- The cost of your past medical care and any anticipated future medical treatment
- Whether the mistake impacts your ability to work
- Whether you’ll recover or suffer a permanent impairment
- The types of medical care made necessary by the medical error
- The nature of the medical professional’s mistake
- Your emotional suffering and damage to your quality of life
Our lawyers are always available to discuss your case. To learn more about our practice areas and experience, call for a free case review with our Lancaster medical malpractice attorneys today.
What Types of Damages Are Available To Victims of Medical Malpractice in Pennsylvania?
Compensatory damages in Pennsylvania are classified according to whether they provide compensation for financial losses or non-financial damage.
Examples of your economic damages include:
- Past medical expenses
- The cost of future medical care
- Lost wages and income
- Diminished earning potential
- Rehabilitation and surgeries
- Long-term care
- In-home assistance or nursing care
- Medications or medical devices
Your non-economic damages award provides compensation for:
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Diminished quality of life
- Permanent disfigurement or scarring
- Anxiety, depression, or PTSD
- Damage to relationships
- Loss of consortium
In cases involving gross negligence or intentional wrongdoing, the courts may also award punitive damages to punish the responsible person.
There isn’t a cap on the amount of compensatory damages you can recover under Pennsylvania law. However, if punitive damages are available, they will be capped at 200% of the amount of compensatory damages you’re awarded.
Long-Term Consequences of Medical Malpractice
Medical malpractice can have serious consequences for the patient. Those consequences can vary from case to case, depending on the facts.
Some of the most common consequences of medical malpractice include:
- Worsening of an underlying condition
- A need for more painful, invasive, and extensive medical procedures
- Infections
- Reduced life expectancy
- Corrective surgeries
- Internal organ damage
- Heart failure and heart attacks
- New medical complications or conditions
- Brain damage
- Paralysis and other spinal cord injuries
- Blood clots
- Stroke
- Sepsis
- Wrongful death
When a victim of medical negligence suffers serious harm, the emotional consequences can be lasting. Injured patients often suffer from severe depression, anxiety when seeking future medical care, and PTSD.
When our lawyers evaluate your case, we’ll consider the emotional trauma you’ve experienced in addition to your physical pain.
What Causes Most Medical Malpractice in Lancaster, Pennsylvania?
Doctors, nurses, and other medical providers are under extreme pressure in today’s world. While not every mistake gives the patient a right to sue for damages, there are some mistakes that should never happen.
Some of the most common causes of medical malpractice include:
- Misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis
- Failure to diagnose cancer or another condition
- Wrong-site surgeries
- Misidentifying patients
- Charting and communication errors
- Inexperienced health care professionals
- Understaffing
- Adverse drug interactions
- Overtreatment or undertreatment
- Improper drug transfusions
- Failure to take a full patient medical history
- Failure to order the correct diagnostic tests
- Misinterpreting lab results
- Physician bias
- Failure to recognize a patient’s symptoms
- Failure to refer the patient to a specialist when needed
The list of causes is a long one. Many patients aren’t exactly sure what caused the harm they’ve suffered–they only know that they’re suffering.
How Do I Prove Negligence if I Was a Victim of Medical Malpractice in Pennsylvania?
Medical negligence is a failure to provide the proper standard of care based on the circumstances. The relevant question in medical malpractice cases is whether a reasonable healthcare professional with similar training would have provided the same level of care under the circumstances.
As in any other negligence case, the victim of medical negligence must prove:
- The responsible party owed the patient a legal duty of care (as all healthcare providers do)
- A breach of that duty occurred
- The breach caused some type of harm, or damages
In medical malpractice cases, the legal duty of care is to provide care in accordance with the applicable medical standard of care. That standard can vary from case to case. It depends on the patient’s age, health, and the nature of the underlying condition itself.
Our lawyers can help you find out who was responsible for your injuries. We’ll gather the relevant evidence, including:
- Medical records
- Statements from medical experts and specialists
- Information about the doctor’s qualifications
- Information on the medical facility’s hiring and training practices
- Evidence of past violations and disciplinary records
- The testimony from hospital employees and staff
The sooner we can conduct an investigation, the more likely it is that we’ll find strong evidence to support your injury claim.
How Long Do I Have To File a Medical Malpractice Lawsuit in Pennsylvania?
You’ll have two years to file a medical malpractice lawsuit under Pennsylvania’s statute of limitations. The two-year clock starts running on the date you discovered the injury or reasonably should have known that you were a victim of medical negligence.
While there are exceptions, it’s important to pay attention to these deadlines. If you miss the deadline, you lose your right to sue for damages entirely. Our lawyers in Lancaster County can help you take steps to preserve your right to compensation. Just give us a call for a free case review today.
Contact a Lancaster Medical Malpractice Lawyer for a Free Consultation
If you were harmed because a doctor or health care provider was careless, you already know that the consequences can be severe. An experienced Lancaster medical malpractice lawyer at Marzzacco Niven & Associates can help you fight for the full compensation available. All you have to do to get started is call for a free consultation.
Visit Our Law Office in Lancaster,PA
Marzzacco Niven & Associates
2173 Embassy Dr Ste 123, Lancaster, PA 17603
(717) 616-2954