Handling Medical Malpractice Cases in the Greater Atlanta Area
Medical mistakes are a big reason why people die in the U.S. Sadly, many deaths happen because of these mistakes. Most doctors do a good job, but when they make a mistake, it can hurt families a lot. The Wetherington Law Firm fights for people who have been hurt by these mistakes.
What is Medical Malpractice?
Medical malpractice does not refer to intentionally hurting a patient. Medical malpractice is any treatment that deviates from the normal standard of practice that causes injury or death. To prove this, you need a lawyer who knows about medical mistakes.
Why You Should Hire a Lawyer If You Suspect Medical Malpractice
Sometimes, doctors make big mistakes that hurt people. The law should protect people from these mistakes, but often it doesn’t. In any action for damages alleging professional malpractice […] the plaintiff shall be required to file with the complaint an affidavit of an expert competent to testify, which affidavit shall set forth specifically at least one negligent act or omission claimed to exist and the factual basis for each such claim.” This is why you need a good lawyer to help you if you think a doctor’s mistake hurt you. We can obtain the proper documents needed to file a lawsuit.
When you hire us to handle your medical malpractice lawsuit, you can expect us to take the following steps:
- Document important evidence, including the circumstances of the medical treatment;
- Identify all medical providers and facilities that played a role in the injuries or death;
- Obtain all relevant medical records –before, during, and after the malpractice event;
- Identify all insurance policies that may provide coverage for the injuries or death;
- Work with the top medical professionals in the country to determine the correct standard of care for each defendant;
- If the victim survives the malpractice, we fully document the victim’s current medical condition and work with the ongoing physicians to understand future medical needs and how much they will cost; and
- Keep you informed every step of the way.
Types of Medical Malpractice Lawsuits We Accept
The Wetherington Law Firm takes all kinds of medical mistake cases. We have won many big cases against hospitals and doctors who didn’t do their job right.
Who Can I Sue for Medical Malpractice?
After a medical mistake, you might be able to get money from the doctor, the hospital, or others involved. A good lawyer can figure out who to sue.
What Must I Prove to Recover for Personal Injuries After Medical Malpractice?
To get money for personal injuries after a medical mistake (medical malpractice), there are certain things you have to prove. This is kind of like solving a puzzle with four main pieces:
- Duty: The doctor or hospital had a responsibility to take care of you in a certain way.
- Failure to Meet Standards: The doctor or hospital didn’t do their job the way they should have, according to medical rules.
- Injury: You actually got hurt.
- Link Between Failure and Injury: Your injury was directly caused by the doctor or hospital not doing their job right.
Proving these things can be really tough. Let’s break it down a bit more:
- Duty: This is super important. It means the doctor or hospital had a job to do (like taking care of you properly).
Some common mistakes that show they didn’t do their job include:
- Not listening to what you say about how you feel.
- Not looking at your medical history.
- Missing a disease or condition that they could have treated.
- Not keeping a close eye on a patient with a known medical problem.
- Treating a condition in a way that other doctors wouldn’t agree with.
- Cutting off the wrong body part (yikes!).
- Hurting a patient on purpose.
- Using too much or too little medicine for putting you to sleep in surgery.
- Not telling you about the risks of a drug or treatment.
- Giving out too many strong painkillers.
- Being careless during childbirth.
When a doctor or hospital doesn’t follow the rules of good medical care, they’re called “negligent.” But, just being negligent isn’t enough to win a case. You also have to prove that this negligence actually caused your injury. For example, if a doctor doesn’t warn you about a dangerous side effect of a medicine, but you don’t get that side effect, you can’t sue for that. But if you do get hurt because of their mistake, then you might have a strong case.
So, in a medical malpractice lawsuit, you need to show all these pieces to have a chance at getting money for your injuries.
How Can You Lose a Medical Malpractice Case?
Even if you were hurt by a medical mistake, you might not win your case. There are many reasons for this, like not filing your lawsuit in time or not proving the doctor made a mistake.
What Damages Can You Recover in a Medical Malpractice Lawsuit?
If you win your case, you might get money for your pain, medical bills, and other losses. Sometimes, you can even get extra money as a punishment for the doctor or hospital.
For Our Medical Malpractice Clients, Our Law Firm Has Recovered Millions of Dollars
Our lawyers are really good at handling medical mistake cases. We have won a lot of money for our clients.
How to Hire the Best Medical Malpractice Lawyers in Georgia
Choosing the right lawyer is very important. You want someone who really knows about medical mistake cases and has a good track record.
Types of Medical Malpractice Lawsuits We Accept
We litigate claims against all medical professionals in all states. Our attorneys have successfully tried cases in several states and obtained record verdicts for our clients. For example, Matt Wetherington served as associate counsel in a five-week medical malpractice jury trial in Fayetteville, N.C. against a large hospital that failed to recognize and report signs of child abuse. The hospital’s failure to follow established policies resulted in the child being sent back to a dangerous home where his abuser ultimately broke his skull and caused permanent brain damage. The trial resulted in a $24 million verdict against the hospital.
We are currently accepting the following types of medical malpractice claims:
- Audiologist malpractice;
- Chiropractor malpractice;
- Clinical social worker malpractice;
- Dentist malpractice;
- Dietitian malpractice;
- Hospital malpractice;
- Marriage and family therapist malpractice;
- Medical doctor malpractice;
- Nurse malpractice;
- Nursing home malpractice;
- Occupational therapist malpractice;
- Optometrist malpractice;
- Osteopathic physician malpractice;
- Pharmacist malpractice;
- Physical therapist malpractice;
- Physicians’ assistant malpractice;
- Podiatrist malpractice;
- Professional counselor malpractice;
- Psychologist malpractice;
- Radiological technician malpractice;
- Respiratory therapist malpractice; and
- Speech-language pathologist malpractice
When You Work With the Wetherington Law Firm, You May Have a Long-lasting Impact on Other People’s Lives.
Our goal is to help you and also make things safer for others. We work with different groups to fix problems and make sure others don’t get hurt like you did.