Are you the victim of a medical error in Crowley, LA? Depending on the circumstances, you may be able to hold the negligent healthcare provider liable for your financial expenses, pain, and suffering.
An experienced Crowley medical malpractice lawyer at Kenny Habetz Injury Law can help you pursue and recover fair compensation. Since our law firm’s founding in 2010, we’ve secured millions of dollars for injured people throughout Louisiana with our experience in cases involving Crowley truck accidents, slip and fall accidents, Crowley motorcycle accidents, wrongful death claim, brain injury cases and more.
To learn more about your legal rights, contact us online or call us at (337) 329-8883 to schedule a free consultation. Our knowledgeable Crowley personal injury attorney will listen to what happened and determine whether you have a valid medical malpractice claim.
How Can Kenny Habetz Injury Law Help Me After Being Injured By a Medical Error in Crowley, LA?
Medical malpractice cases are complex and often involve multiple defendants who want to escape liability. There are also specific state procedures and requirements you must follow.
That’s why it’s essential to hire an experienced attorney who is well-versed in Louisiana medical malpractice laws. The legal team at Kenny Habetz Injury Law has over ten years of experience practicing law and handling various injury claims. We’ll help you hold a negligent medical provider financially accountable for their actions.
If you hire our Crowley personal injury lawyer for help with your medical malpractice matter, we’ll:
- Thoroughly investigate the treatment you received and determine if it fell below the required standard of care
- Consult leading medical experts and specialists to support your malpractice allegations
- Gather and analyze crucial evidence – such as medical records, charts, hospital policies and procedures, past complaints, and more
- Negotiate a fair settlement with the medical provider, their insurance company, and/or their defense attorneys
- Litigate your case in civil court in Acadia Parish if we fail to reach an agreement that fully compensates you
Our experienced medical malpractice attorney works on a contingency fee basis and offers a free initial consultation. Schedule your appointment today by contacting our law office in Crowley, Louisiana.
What Is Medical Malpractice in Louisiana?
Whether you visit your doctor for a checkup or are transported to the ER, healthcare professionals are expected to provide a certain standard of care. This is the level of care a reasonable medical provider in the same specialty or position would exercise under similar circumstances.
For example, when determining whether an OBGYN breached their duty of care, their actions will be compared to that of a reasonable OBGYN with similar education, skills, knowledge, and experience. If the physician’s actions fell below the required standard and harmed their patient, they’ve likely committed malpractice.
Defendants in a Louisiana medical negligence claim may include:
- Physicians
- Nurses
- Anesthesiologists
- Radiologists
- Surgeons
- Medical assistants
- Technicians
- Hospitals and urgent care centers
- Nursing homes
- Paramedics
- Pharmacists
- Healthcare administrators
- Dentists
- Optometrists
- Chiropractic physicians
Note that not every adverse medical event will rise to the level of malpractice. Every patient is unique, and unexpected complications can occur. If the doctor did everything that a reasonable, similarly-credentialed physician would have done in their situation, they probably wouldn’t be held liable for malpractice.
What Are Some Examples of Medical Malpractice?
Any type of substandard medical treatment may amount to malpractice if it causes harm to a patient. The question is whether the provider’s actions were reasonable under the circumstances.
The following medical acts and omissions may present grounds for a valid Louisiana medical malpractice claim:
- Anesthesia errors
- Medication errors
- Misdiagnosis
- Delayed diagnosis
- Failure to diagnose
- Surgical errors
- Hospital negligence
- Emergency room errors
- Birth injuries
- Nursing home abuse or neglect
- Failure to receive informed consent
- Negligent post-operative care
- Discharging a patient too early
- Misinterpreting radiology or lab results
Many of these errors happen when healthcare professionals are overworked and understaffed. Fatigue, communication and charting errors, failure to review a patient’s medical history, and lack of oversight often lead to malpractice claims.
How Do I Prove My Louisiana Medical Malpractice Case?
To prove that a healthcare provider’s actions amounted to malpractice, the injured victim (patient) has the burden of proving the following elements of negligence:
- The provider owed the victim a duty of care (e.g., a doctor-patient relationship existed)
- The standard of care owed to the victim (i.e., the degree of skill or knowledge ordinarily practiced by providers within the same medical field or specialty)
- The provider either lacked the requisite skills or knowledge or breached their standard of care by failing to use reasonable diligence or judgment
- The provider’s failure directly caused the victim harm
- The victim sustained identifiable damages, such as complications leading to further medical treatment
Various types of evidence may be useful in proving a Louisiana medical malpractice case, including:
- Medical records and charts
- Medical invoices
- Lab tests
- Hospital records
- Hospital policies and procedures
- Pharmacy records
- Opinions from medical specialists and experts
- Statements from medical staff
- Photos of your injuries
- Employment records to prove your lost wages
It’s wise to request copies of your medical records immediately if you think you’re a victim of malpractice. If you wait too long, documents may be altered or “lost.” Also, consider seeing another doctor for a second opinion and to determine whether you require further examination from a specialist.
The better your documentation, the stronger your case will be. Also, the quicker you receive legal advice regarding your issue, the sooner your attorney can start building a solid case.
Our team at Kenny Habetz Injury Law will gather the evidence needed to prove your malpractice case.
What Is the Value of My Crowley Medical Malpractice Case?
The value of your Crowley medical malpractice claim depends on your unique circumstances. Medical negligence varies in severity, and each victim and injury is different.
When we’re assessing what your injury case is worth, we’ll evaluate the following:
- The treatment you were receiving when the malpractice occurred
- The injuries you sustained and whether the error worsened an underlying medical condition or illness
- Whether the malpractice has caused a permanent disability or lessened your expected lifespan
- The medical bills you’ve incurred due to the error
- Your lost income and job benefits
- Whether you can work in the same capacity as before the malpractice
- The impact of the error on your quality of life
- The psychological toll this incident has had on your life
Ultimately, we will consider every way the medical mistake has changed your life. The more severe your harm and suffering, the higher your case value. Contact our personal injury attorney in Crowley to discuss your medical negligence case and the compensation you may be entitled to under Louisiana law.
What Compensation Is Available To Medical Malpractice Victims in Crowley, Louisiana?
Louisiana medical malpractice victims may be eligible to recover economic and non-economic damages.
Economic damages are expenses incurred due to the medical error, such as:
- Additional medical expenses
- Future medical costs for treatment and care
- Out-of-pocket expenses for travel, childcare, and other miscellaneous costs
- Lost wages and reduced future earning capacity
- Physical therapy
Non-economic damages are personal to each medical malpractice victim and may include:
- Emotional distress
- Pain and suffering
- Reduced quality of life
- Permanent scarring or disfigurement
- Disability
- PTSD
- Chronic pain
Our medical malpractice lawyer in Crowley can help you identify and calculate these and any other damages you’ve sustained.
What Types of Injuries Can Result from Medical Malpractice?
The injuries sustained due to a medical provider’s negligence will depend largely on the type of malpractice and various other factors.
At Kenny Habetz Injury Law, we’ve helped people pursue compensation after suffering:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Worsened medical conditions
- Nerve damage
- Paralysis and spinal cord injuries
- Infections
- Soft tissue injuries
- Pneumonia
- Internal organ damage
- Heart failure
- Blood clots
- Mental disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder
In the worst cases of medical malpractice, the victim tragically loses their life. We can help you file a wrongful death claim and hold the healthcare provider accountable for the loss of your loved one.
How Long Do I Have To File a Medical Malpractice Lawsuit in Louisiana?
Victims must file most Louisiana medical malpractice lawsuits within one year of the incident. However, there may be exceptions to this one-year statute of limitations.
For example, if you don’t immediately discover the malpractice, you may have one year from the date of discovery. However, you have no later than three years from the malpractice date, regardless of when you discover that medical negligence caused your injury.
It’s best to consult an experienced attorney as soon as possible if you suspect that you suffered harm due to a healthcare professional’s error. If you miss the deadline that applies to your case, you’ll lose your right to hold the at-fault party financially responsible for your damages.
Schedule a Free Case Evaluation With Our Experienced Crowley Medical Malpractice Attorney
If you’ve sustained injuries due to a medical mistake in Crowley, Louisiana, Kenny Habetz Injury Law is here to assist. We’ll examine whether you have a valid case, gather the evidence needed to prove it and advocate on your behalf.
Contact our personal injury law firm today to schedule a free case assessment with an experienced and skilled medical malpractice attorney in Crowley, LA.
Our Crowley, LA personal injury law office also provides:
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