Connect with a Trusted Columbus Medical Malpractice Lawyer
The Friedmann Firm prides itself on working with clients in Columbus and throughout Ohio on a range of cases that include employment law and personal injury cases. From handling severance negotiation and employment contracts all the way to car accidents and workplace accidents, our team of Columbus medical negligence lawyers is here to provide you with experienced representation as you seek compensation.
Sustaining injuries from medical malpractice can be an especially frightening time. Healthcare professionals are afforded a great deal of care and trust for their patient’s treatments, whether it is a simple procedure, a diagnosis, or surgery. Errors on the part of healthcare professionals can have catastrophic consequences for the victim – even if they were truly the mistakes of a good doctor.
When medical malpractice occurs, it can be extremely beneficial to have a medical malpractice lawyer from Columbus, Ohio on your side as you seek to recover compensation. When you suffer injuries due to the negligence of another person, you have the right to pursue legal action by filing a personal injury claim.
Our medical malpractice attorneys near Columbus understand how frustrating and stressful the aftermath of medical malpractice can be. We want to help you seek the compensation owed to you for your injuries and losses. We do so with an aggressive and understanding approach to ensure that you receive compensation so you can get the care and treatment you need to recover.
What is Medical Malpractice?
Medical malpractice, as defined by An Introduction to Medical Malpractice in the United States from the National Library of Medicine (NIH), is “any act or omission by a physician during treatment of a patient that deviates” from the generally accepted normal practices of the medical community and results in the injury of a patient.
Basically, medical malpractice is a failure on the part of medical professionals to provide reasonable care and treatment to a patient. This can occur in medical professionals like nurses, doctors, surgeons, dentists, and more.
According to a 2016 American Medical Association survey, 34% of American physicians have faced allegations of medical malpractice, and facing allegations “is not an uncommon event for physicians.” And of those surveyed, about 16.8% of physicians that faced allegations had been sued two or more times.
If you believe that you or a loved one has been injured as the result of medical malpractice, please contact our Columbus medical negligence lawyers. We can schedule a free consultation and analyze the details of your case closely.
Types of Medical Malpractice
Medical malpractice can occur for a number of different reasons, including medication errors and misdiagnosis. Some common types of medical malpractice include:
- Birth injuries
- Medication errors
- Misdiagnosis of disease or injuries
- Surgical error
- Failure to follow up
- Anesthesia error
- Failure to diagnose
- Negligent failure to treat
- Medical record errors
- Bedsores
This is not a fully exhaustive list of types of medical malpractice, but it does provide a general idea of the most common types.
If you believe that you have been the victim of medical malpractice, please reach out to one of our medical malpractice lawyers in Columbus, Ohio.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is liable for medical malpractice?
Liability can range in medical malpractice cases. In certain cases, the hospital or healthcare facility may be held responsible for any kind of preventable mistakes that their staff may make – including doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals.
In other situations, the healthcare professionals themselves may be held directly liable for your injuries.
As with any case where negligence is involved, liability will need to be proven.
What are the four factors that must be proven in a medical malpractice case?
There are four important factors to consider in medical malpractice cases that need to be proven to display liability. These are key to establishing when you are seeking to recover compensation. Those four factors are:
- Duty of care: Also known as a legal duty, a duty of care is the idea that a healthcare provider owes their patient care that any other healthcare professional would provide at the same level of skill and training. For example, a patient who goes to a dentist for oral surgery is owed a duty of care once a dentist-patient relationship is established.
- Breach of duty of care: A breach of that duty of care will need to be established. A breach of duty of care means that the healthcare provider has failed to meet their duty in a reasonable way.
- Harm to the patient: In some cases, medical error or negligence may not result in harm to the patient. If you have not suffered any harm, you typically have no grounds to seek compensation so establishing harm to the patient will be important for a medical malpractice claim.
- Causation: You will need to prove that the healthcare provider’s negligent acts were the direct cause of your injuries.
Please note that the above is not intended as legal advice. Please reach out to our Columbus medical negligence lawyers to discuss your case specifically and the relevant details.
Is there a statute of limitations in Ohio for medical malpractice?
As with many other types of personal injury claim cases, there is a statute of limitations for medical malpractice. According to Section 2305.113 of the Ohio Revised Code, any action “upon a medical, dental, optometric, or chiropractic claim” must be taken within one year after the cause of the action.
That time period can be extended if a victim sends a formal notice to the healthcare professional or organization that you are considering filing a medical malpractice claim or lawsuit against. These notices are usually sent by mail and once a notice is sent, you will have 180 days to take action against the notified party.
What do Columbus medical negligence lawyers do?
Medical malpractice claims can be complex and time-consuming. There are many details to go over and laws to be aware of as you look to file a claim. So, what can a medical malpractice lawyer in Columbus, Ohio help with during such a stressful time?
There are plenty of things that The Friedmann Firm can do should we work together. Some of the things that we do include:
- Reviewing all relevant documents and details for your case
- Navigating the legal process for your medical malpractice claim or lawsuit
- Explaining your rights to you and ensuring that you understand the process as we move forward
- Negotiating with all involved parties, such as insurance companies, to ensure that you receive a favorable settlement offer
We provide all of our clients with expert representation and legal advice as we seek compensation for your injuries.
Contact a Medical Malpractice Lawyer in Columbus, Ohio
The Friedmann Firm is made up of a team of highly experienced lawyers based in Columbus. Since our founding in 2012, we have successfully resolved over 1,000+ cases with a success rate of 99%. We bring an aggressive approach to each case that we take on in an effort to ensure that your case is resolved in a satisfactory manner through innovative solutions and expert knowledge of the law.
If you or a loved one believes that you have suffered due to medical malpractice, please reach out to our Columbus medical malpractice lawyers today. We offer free and confidential consultations that allow us to analyze the details of your case closely to help us determine if you have grounds for a case.
Should we take your case on, we will ensure that you understand your rights, are kept up to date as we begin the claims process, and that we are working towards a resolution that you are happy with.