Any negligent act committed by a health or medical professional that damages a patient or leads to their death is considered medical malpractice. It could also include events where the health professional deviates from standard medical processes, somehow causing harm to the person’s health.

Pennsylvania is known to have some of the best hospitals in the country. Many top-ranked hospitals are located in the Philadelphia metro area. Despite that, there have been rising cases of medical malpractices in the state. Per a recent report, Philadelphia registered around 416 medical malpractice filings in 2018.

If you look at the data, Philadelphia had the highest number of medical malpractice filings, followed by Allegheny that registered 289 medical malpractices in 2018. If you're a victim of medical malpractice, look for experienced personal injury lawyers in Philadelphia.

How Do Personal Injury Lawyers Help in Fighting Medical Malpractice?

Proving medical malpractice can be complicated as most patients don't know the standard treatment that needs to be followed for different ailments. Also, an ordinary person is less likely to know actions that can be considered an act of omission or negligence by the health professional.

A personal injury lawyer can help greatly in such a situation. Here are different ways in which an attorney can help

Help Determine if Your Case Is Valid.

Not every medical malpractice case ends in compensation to the patient. Experienced personal injury lawyers in Philadelphia offer a free consultation to the affected person and help determine whether the case is valid for claiming compensation. The lawyer will take up the case only if there is enough evidence that shows the negligence of health professionals that led to injuries.

Collect and Evaluate Evidence

According to recent data, around 69.6% of medical malpractice filings in Philadelphia included Defense verdicts. It means the jury decision favoured the defendant (hospital/doctor), and the plaintiffs did not provide enough evidence to prove their point. In most cases, the defendant wins due to a lack of evidence.

A personal injury lawyer collects and evaluates the evidence that can be used to prove the medical professionals' negligence. The process starts with collecting relevant medical records. The attorney will also try to collect information about conversations you had with different medical and health professionals during treatment.

Identify Short-Term and Long-Term Losses Due to Medical Malpractice.

Medical malpractice could have both short-term and long-term effects on the patients’ health. The attorney will identify short-term and long-term consequences you are likely to suffer due to negligent acts of health professionals.

The lawyer will present a detailed description of your condition when admitted to the hospital, the treatment given to you, and its ill effects.

According to recent data, around four medical malpractice cases in Philadelphia ended with the jury announcing a compensation of $500,000 or less to the plaintiff. Only one plaintiff was awarded compensation of over $5 million.

To sum up, a sizable number of Americans suffer due to medical errors. Leading studies show at least 44,000 Americans die in hospitals due to medical errors. As a victim of medical malpractice, you have the right to claim compensation, for which you require an experienced personal injury lawyer who can fight for your rights in court.