Lake Charles medical malpractice lawyers

Did you know? Medical errors are the third leading cause of death in the U.S. Medical professionals need to be accountable for their mistakes, but getting justice is a challenge.

The Johnson Firm is a team of skilled and compassionate attorneys ready to help injured people in our community. We have the experience and resources to assist you in filing a lawsuit and recovering compensation.

How much does it cost to hire a medical malpractice lawyer?

You have nothing to lose when you work with The Johnson Firm. We won’t receive a dime unless you win your case.

What should I do after experiencing malpractice?

If you believe you’ve suffered harm due to medical malpractice, please keep the following in mind. Taking these steps could help improve your chances of getting the money you deserve.

1. Switch providers by asking for a referral

Don’t go back to the doctor whom you believe hurt you. Find another doctor as soon as you can. Try to be tactful when speaking with your current doctor and ask for a referral. Your insurance might require it.

2. Obtain a copy of your medical records

You’re entitled to receive a copy of your medical records. Doing so could help your case by establishing the doctor caused harm to you through medical malpractice. Your doctor should provide your records within 30 days.

3. Meet with a Lake Charles medical malpractice lawyer

The next step will be to contact The Johnson Firm and speak with an experienced Lake Charles medical malpractice lawyer. Your attorney will spell out the strengths and weaknesses of your case and tell you how to best proceed.

4. Report the incident to the appropriate licensing boards

Telling the licensing board about your experience could subject them to discipline. You might also help someone else avoid the same issues.

5. Manage your condition carefully

Please pay attention to your body as much as you can and get whatever additional treatment you need. The last thing you want to do is ignore what’s happened and risk your health getting even worse.

Common types of medical malpractice

Our team of skilled attorneys is equipped with a unique medical background. This helps us to understand, evaluate, and prove your case. We deal with a range of medical malpractice claims, including the following.

Delayed diagnosis

If a doctor doesn’t diagnose a worsening health condition in time, when treatment could have kept that from happening, they could be liable for medical malpractice. Failure to diagnose will typically involve interpreting test results incorrectly, failing to recognize symptoms, or a failure to refer someone to a specialist quickly enough.

Negligent failure to treat

This occurs when a doctor must treat a condition but fails to do so. A doctor could face a medical malpractice lawsuit when they fail to provide the correct treatment or an accurate diagnosis.

Surgical malpractice

Examples of surgical malpractice include the following:

• Performing unnecessary surgery
• Performing the correct surgery in an incorrect or careless way
• Operating on the wrong patient
• Failing to remove all medical tools or other objects from the body

Birth injuries

In some instances, birth injuries are considered medical malpractice. A medical professional can commit malpractice if they make a mistake before, during, or after delivery that harms the mother or the infant.

Improper follow-up/aftercare

Your doctor may have neglected to schedule a follow-up and you suffered harm as a result. They might not have properly monitored your condition after surgery or didn’t give you the right post-operative instructions. These are just a few examples of mistakes that could be considered medical malpractice.

How long do I have to file a claim?

In Louisiana, you have one year from either of the dates listed below to file a claim for medical malpractice:

• One year after the date of the alleged malpractice
• One year after you learned of the negligence or should have been aware of it

This deadline is known as the “prescriptive period” or “statute of limitations,” and If you don’t act soon enough, you’ll forfeit your right to obtain compensation.

What kinds of damages may I be able to claim?

You’ve incurred significant financial losses due to medical malpractice. In legal terms, these losses are known as damages. Here’s a look at some examples.

Economic damages

More than likely, you’ve already accumulated some substantial medical bills. You’ve also probably lost money because you can’t work. These are examples of economic damages. They’re easier to calculate because they come with a bill, invoice, or receipt.

Non-economic damages

You’ll need a skilled attorney with The Johnson Firm to not only calculate your non-economic damages but prove them. These include pain and suffering, mental distress, and lost quality of life, among others.

We’ll work to obtain maximum compensation

When you file a medical malpractice lawsuit, you’ll be going up against powerful insurance companies with deep pockets. They’re going to fight extremely hard, and they have a lot of well-paid professionals at their disposal.

You want a Lake Charles medical malpractice lawyer who has the skill and experience needed to defeat this formidable opposition and help you obtain equitable compensation.

Multiple parties may be liable for your injury

There could be several different medical professionals who contributed to the negligence that harmed you. Here are some of the people you may be able to pursue through a medical malpractice lawsuit.

Doctor

As you learned earlier, doctors can commit medical malpractice in a lot of ways. They can fail to diagnose, delay a diagnosis, prescribe the wrong treatment or medication, and more.

Nurse

A doctor could do everything right yet you could still suffer harm due to a nurse’s negligence. This could include administering the wrong dose of a medication or failing to monitor or document your progress.

Anesthesiologist

Anesthesiologists can be liable for malpractice for failing to manage complications that arise during or after a procedure.

Physician’s assistant

The physician’s assistant could have failed to tell the doctor something that resulted in delayed care or a harmful error.

Pharmacist

A pharmacist could have failed to spot a medication error. For example, a patient could suffer harm due to taking medicine that interacted with another drug they were taking. Pharmacists can also commit malpractice when they fail to give patients instructions on how to use prescribed medication.

Medical device manufacturer or distributor

A manufacturer could face liability for producing a defective device. If a distributor makes that device available to patients, they could be sued as well.

Laboratory technician

Lab technicians can face liability if they fail to sterilize equipment properly or mislabel a sample.

Hospital

Like any other employer, hospitals can be held liable for the actions of their employees, meaning the hospital can be held liable if it employed the doctor, nurse, or other healthcare professional that caused you harm.

Medical facility

Urgent care clinics and other medical facilities can also face legal action if they don’t supervise staff members properly or don’t refer a patient to another facility when their treatment needs dictate it.

How our attorneys prove malpractice

Our team of qualified Lake Charles medical malpractice lawyers will investigate your case to determine all potentially liable parties. We’ll gather relevant evidence including medical records, doctor’s notes, opinions from medical experts, and more. Your attorney will then negotiate a fair settlement with the insurance company. If insurance refuses to agree to a reasonable settlement, your attorney will take the case to court.

Our Lake Charles medical malpractice lawyers are here to help

Are you looking to claim compensation for medical malpractice? Call a personal injury attorney in Lake Charles at (337) 433-1414 or fill out our online contact form to schedule your free consultation today.