Minnesota Medical Malpractice Lawyer

Medical malpractice is a silent killer in the United States. According to the most recent statistics, medical mistakes have become the third leading cause of death in the country, resulting in 250,000 deaths per year. Hundreds of thousands of innocent patients also suffer serious injuries even if they do not die.

If you or a loved one has been injured by a medical professional, you might feel betrayed. But realize that help is available. At Kosieradzki Smith, our Minnesota medical malpractice lawyers have years of experienced holding doctors, dentists, nurses, hospitals, and others accountable for their negligence.

Examples of Medical Malpractice

Doctors and other professionals must follow the accepted standard of care in their profession. When they don’t, they might have committed malpractice. There are many forms of medical malpractice, such as the following:

• Failure to diagnose/misdiagnosis. Although the patient presents with symptoms of an illness or disease, the doctor fails to accurately diagnose it.
• Failure to monitor. A doctor should monitor a patient after surgery to discover and address any complications.
• Wrong treatment. Even where the diagnosis is correct, the doctor might prescribe the wrong treatment.
• Medication errors. The doctor might prescribe the wrong medication, or a nurse could dispense the wrong prescription or the wrong amount.
• Birth injuries. Many things can go wrong during labor and delivery, causing injury to both mother and child. For example, babies can suffer brain injuries and nerve damage, while mothers can die from unaddressed internal bleeding or high blood pressure.
• Surgical errors. A surgeon could nick an artery or carelessly injure organs. Surgical implements like sponges might also be left in the body after surgery.
• Anesthesia errors. A patient could receive too much or too little anesthesia. Also, the anesthesiologist might fail to monitor the patient during the surgery, resulting in injury or even death.

These are only some of the more common medical malpractice mistakes we see every year. If you have suffered injury after being treated by a doctor, then you should investigate further. Your doctor might be to blame for your worsening condition.

Red Flags for Medical Malpractice

Your doctor or the hospital probably did not tell you that something went wrong, so you probably have no idea why you feel even worse coming out of the hospital than you did going in. It can be tricky to identify whether a medical mistake is to blame. Here are some red flags you should look for:

• Your doctor is avoiding you. This might suggest a guilty conscience.
• You receive a different second diagnosis shortly after the first. This could mean the first doctor failed to diagnose you correctly.
• You do not improve after treatment or surgery. Not everyone will improve, but this is still a red flag.
• A loved one dies in surgery, especially if they are young and healthy. There is a chance a mistake led to death.

Remember to trust your instincts. If you think something went wrong, you can schedule a consultation with a Minnesota medical malpractice lawyer to review your case.

Compensation You Can Receive

The purpose of a lawsuit is to compensate a victim for their losses. The amount a client can receive will vary, depending on the case. However, our clients have received compensation for the following:

• Cost of medical care, including any corrective care necessary to treat injuries sustained from the carelessness of the doctor. Medical care can also include future care.
• Lost wages, if you could not work while recovering from your injuries.
• Pain and suffering.
• Loss of chance for recovery. Even if your condition is terminal, you can still receive compensation if your doctor’s malpractice robbed you of a chance for recovery.

If a loved one died, then additional compensation could be available. It is important to meet with a lawyer for an individualized case assessment.

Anatomy of a Medical Malpractice Case

When patients meet with us, they express confusion about what they should do or how long it will take before they know that they were victimized by a careless doctor. Every case is different, but most medical malpractice cases follow a common pattern:

• Initial consultation with a medical malpractice lawyer in Minnesota. Your lawyer can listen to your recollections of what happened and discuss your current prognosis.
• Medical record review. Your attorney can gather medical records and show them to an expert witness. This witness, who is usually a current or former doctor, will analyze whether you have a viable medical malpractice claim. Under Minnesota statute 145.682, you will need a certification of expert review in most malpractice cases.
• Investigation. Your attorney might need to do preliminary investigation by, for example, interviewing medical staff that attended you.
• Filing paperwork in court. Lawsuits start with a complaint that lays out the facts of the case. You must send a copy of the complaint, along with a summons and your expert certification, to all defendants you sue.
• Settlement negotiations. Negotiations can happen at any time—even before filing a lawsuit. Settlement negotiations also might be ongoing throughout the entire lawsuit. Cases can settle at any time, and you need an experienced attorney to maximize the amount you receive.
• Trial. If settlement is unsuccessful, then you might need to go to court. At trial, you can present evidence, including medical expert testimony, that your doctor violated the applicable standard of care.

This is a compressed timeline of a lawsuit, but it gives you a general idea of what you can expect. One benefit of hiring an experienced Minnesota medical malpractice attorney is that he can lift this heavy burden from your shoulders, allowing you to focus on recovery.

Contact Kosieradzki Smith Law Firm Right Away

If a doctor’s negligence has injured you, you might feel betrayed. This is perfectly normal. Our Minnesota medical malpractice lawyers strive to hold doctors and others accountable when they injure you.

To find out more, please contact us to schedule a free initial consultation. You can call 763-225-2640 or submit our online contact form.

Avoid delay. Minnesota gives injured patients a very short window of time to bring a lawsuit. Any delay could cost you money and result in forfeiting your rights.