When medical malpractice lawsuits make national headlines, it’s most often because the specialist’s error was particularly egregious, resulting in incredibly severe injuries to the patient or worse.
For example, a plastic surgeon may botch a procedure leaving a patient with permanent scarring, an anesthesiologist may stop a patient’s heart after administering the wrong dose of a powerful sedative or an ophthalmologist may blind a patient after using the wrong dye during surgery.
It’s important to understand, however, that medical malpractice of this same magnitude can — and does — occur under far more mundane circumstances and doesn’t always involve a specialist.
For instance, internists — typically one of the first lines of medical defense for teens, seniors and everybody in-between — are frequently named in malpractice lawsuits alleging major medical mistakes.
To illustrate, consider a study published in the medical journal JAMA Internal Medicine a few months ago, which examined 33,747 medical malpractice claims made against internists between 1985 and 2009, and revealed the top five reasons they are sued:
What this serves to illustrate is that medical mistakes can occur at any time and under any circumstances at the hands of any type of physician.
It also illustrates just how important it is to have an experienced and highly skilled legal professional by your side who has a comprehensive knowledge of not just the law, but medicine as well.
At Richards & Richards LLP, our attorneys possess these very attributes and are able to handle the most complex medical negligence cases, including those against both internists and family medicine doctors.
Indeed, they not only know how to properly review pertinent medical documents and translate medical jargon into comprehensive terms, but also take the time to consult with industry experts — physicians, medical specialists, and nurses — when building a case.
To learn more about how we can help, please visit our website today.
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