No one ever expects to need a procedure to fix a medical issue, be it an emergency or an elective procedure. However, after going through a medical procedure, you can typically expect to continue on with your life relatively pain-free. Unfortunately, some people experience even more issues after a procedure and in some cases, it may be due to a doctor’s negligence. When it comes to medical malpractice, you may need to seek legal advice in order to learn about your rights.
Seeking advice regarding Medical malpractice in Iowa City, IA is as simple as locating attorneys who include that service in their list of practices. Typically an attorney will sit down with you and see if you have a case. What needs to be present in order to prove there was medical malpractice are four things, 1) that care was owed to the patient, meaning legally, whenever a hospital or health care provider provides care, 2) that the care was breached, meaning that there was a failure to provide standard care, 3) that the breach of care caused an injury, and 4) that there was damage. Without damage – which are losses that may be physical or emotional – there is no basis for a claim. If one of these elements cannot be proved, chances are that you do not have a claim for medical malpractice.
If you do have a basis for a claim, and your case goes to trial, your attorney will seek expert witnesses to testify that care had indeed been breached and that breach most certainly caused injury to the patient. These witnesses must have sufficient knowledge of the subject matter to be considered credible. Damages sought during a trial can include either compensatory or punitive damages, or both. Compensatory damages are typically a recovery of financial losses as well as any wages lost. Punitive damages are usually only awarded if there was a clear case of reckless conduct.
When dealing with Medical malpractice in Iowa City, IA, be sure to contact attorney’s who have the knowledge of the law as it applies to this area. Since there are a few elements that need to be proved, you want to ensure that they are able to fight for your rights.
