Fort Oglethorpe Medical Malpractice Lawyer

Medical malpractice cases can occur for a number of different reasons. A negligent doctor may be poorly trained, inexperienced, distracted, or simply careless. Malpractice could even take the form of a nurse being in a hurry and failing to double check a medication dose, or a surgeon failing to verify which limb needs to be amputated.

Ultimately, it does not really matter why such an act occurred. What matters are the damages caused by the negligence of a medical professional that you now have to deal with.

Fortunately, recovering compensation for those damages is not impossible, especially if you have a dedicated personal injury attorney by your side. For help with medical malpractice injuries, contact an experienced Fort Oglethorpe medical malpractice lawyer.

Compensation for Malpractice Damages

The main purpose of a medical malpractice lawsuit is to recover compensation for the damages a plaintiff has suffered due to the negligence of the defendant(s). To receive compensation, a plaintiff must prove that an act of medical malpractice caused the damages and that an estimated value can be placed on the damages. These damages can be classified as general, special, and punitive.

General Damages

The cost of suffering falls under the category of general damages. Though it can be difficult to put a price tag on, these damages can include pain and suffering, loss of companionship, loss of enjoyment of life, and loss of future earning capacity.

Special Damages

Damages that can cover more quantifiable expenses are known as special damages. Examples include past, present, and future medical bills and lost wages.

Punitive Damages

Although not applicable in every case, sometimes a plaintiff—with the help of their skilled medical malpractice lawyer in Fort Oglethorpe—may be able to recover punitive damages. To receive these damages, it must generally be proven that the medical provider knew that they were acting in a manner harmful to the patient and continued to do so in an egregious or particularly irresponsible way.

Medical Malpractice Damage Caps

In 2010, the Georgia Supreme Court ruled Official Code of Georgia §51-13-1 unconstitutional, limiting the degree to which damage caps can be applied to Fort Oglethorpe medical malpractice cases. Currently, there is a cap on medical malpractice damages, but these caps apply only to medical malpractice non-economic damages for such things as mental anguish, scarring, and other hard to quantify categories.

A medical malpractice case in Georgia has a non-economic cap of $350,000 for single claims against health care professionals. When a single healthcare facility is involved, that cap is also $350,000, up to a total of $700,000 if more than one facility is deemed liable. As a result, an overall cap of $1.05 million applies to non-economic damages for any one medical malpractice case. A Fort Oglethorpe medical malpractice lawyer could answer questions that an individual may have about medical malpractice.

Speaking with a Fort Oglethorpe Medical Malpractice Attorney

Medical malpractice cases can involve many different parties and may have a lot of money at stake for compensation. This is why many plaintiffs in these cases would do well to hire a reliable Fort Oglethorpe medical malpractice lawyer from our firm to represent them.

The legal team could strive to get you the fair settlement you need to compensate for your injuries. We know how these types of cases can impact victims for the rest of their lives, so contact our law offices today to learn more about how we could help you with yours.