Medical Malpractice Lawyers — New Jersey and Pennsylvania
Frequently Asked Questions About Medical Malpractice Claims
When a doctor, physician, nurse or other medical practitioner not only fails to help you recover from injury or illness, but aggravates your condition through carelessness or negligence, you may be uncertain how to take the right steps to protect your interests. This page provides answers to frequently asked questions about medical malpractice claims.
At the law office of Aronberg, Kouser, Snyder & Lindemann, P.A., we bring more than 35 years of experience to personal injury victims in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. In our decades in practice, we have successfully represented thousands of personal injury victims, including people who have suffered loss because of medical negligence.
To arrange a free initial consultation, contact our office online or call us at 856-429-1700 (toll free at 856-429-1700).
Medical Malpractice FAQs
Q: What types of injuries are considered medical malpractice?
A: Technically, any time a medical caregiver fails to provide the accepted standard of care and injury results, there is malpractice. The common types of medical malpractice include:
- Surgical errors — operating on the wrong body part, performing the wrong surgery, leaving a surgical tool in a body cavity
- Medication errors — incorrect medications or dosages, failure to determine allergies or potential reactions to medications
- Anesthesia errors — failure to conduct a proper work-up, use of wrong anesthesia or incorrect amount of anesthesia
- Failure to diagnose or misdiagnosis — failure to prescribe or conduct appropriate medical tests, inaccurate interpretation or misreading of tests
- Failure to properly monitor and prescribe care
Q: What is the standard of care that a medical professional must provide?
A: Medical caregivers are held to a different standard of care than lay people. A doctor or nurse is held to the same standard as other medical professionals with the same training and experience, as possessed by doctors or nurses in the local area. Accordingly, a brain surgeon with five years in practice in Boston will be held to the same standard as other brain surgeons in the Boston area who have approximately five years of experience, but not to the same standard as a brain surgeon who has 20 years of experience or to a general practitioner who has five years’ experience, or even to a brain surgeon with five years of experience in Portland, Oregon.
Q: How does the court determine what the standard of care should have been?
A: Typically, this is established through expert testimony, with other similarly situated medical professionals testifying as to what would be a reasonable standard of care.
Q: What can I expect from my insurance company?
A: Your insurer should pay all costs covered by your policy. Be prepared, though, to have your insurer make an offer of a cash settlement for your losses. Don’t accept the payment and don’t sign anything without consulting your lawyer. You may forfeit the right to recover for future losses if you do.
Contact Aronberg, Kouser, Snyder & Lindemann, P.A., Attorneys at Law
We handle all medical malpractice claims on a contingency basis. We won’t charge any attorney fees unless we recover compensation for your losses.
Contact us by e-mail or call our office at 856-429-1700 (toll free at 856-429-1700). There is no cost or obligation for your first consultation.
