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Fairfield County Medical Malpractice Lawyer

Fairfield County Medical Malpractice Lawyer

The consequences can be devastating when a doctor, surgeon, anesthesiologist, nurse, or other healthcare provider fails to meet the acceptable standard of care and harms you in Fairfield County, Connecticut. Medical malpractice claims allow patients who’ve been injured or have had health conditions worsen due to negligence to seek answers and fair compensation. Medical malpractice claims can be challenging to pursue. You need help from an experienced Fairfield Medical Malpractice Lawyer to assist you with your case.

 At Wocl Leydon, our medical malpractice attorneys have the experience and resources necessary to help you seek justice if you have been hurt or a family member has lost their life due to a medical professional’s negligence. 

Contact Wocl Leydon by phone or online now to discuss the specifics of your case during a free and confidential consultation. 

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What Is Medical Malpractice?

Medical malpractice occurs when a physician or other healthcare provider is negligent in fulfilling the professional duty they owe a patient and it results in harm to the patient. Medical negligence often results in severe injuries and can sometimes be fatal. 

When healthcare professionals deviate from the accepted standard of care for treatment, they could be financially liable for the losses the patient suffers. 

It is important to note that just because a patient’s injury or illness had a negative outcome does not mean medical malpractice occurred. Even if a doctor or medical provider offers competent care and does their job correctly, some patients might still fail to recover, or their condition might not improve as they had hoped. 

For a medical malpractice claim to be valid, you must show that your physician or other healthcare provider was negligent when diagnosing or treating you. The physician must have done something or failed to do something in a way that breaches the acceptable standard of care for a similar medical provider.

Common Types of Medical Negligence Cases in Fairfield, CT

Some of the most common types of medical malpractice include: 

  • Negligence in EMS
  • Birth injuries
  • Misdiagnosis
  • Lasik eye surgery injuries
  • Medication errors
  • Robotic surgery complications
  • Failure to disclose known risks
  • Failure to treat
  • Operating on the wrong part of the body
  • Prescribing the wrong medications
  • Administering the wrong dose of a medication
  • Anesthesia errors
  • Over- or under-medicating
  • Failure to account for a patient’s allergies
  • Failure to perform proper follow-up care
  • Premature discharge from the hospital

According to a recent study from Johns Hopkins, medical errors were the third leading cause of death in the United States. Patient safety experts at Johns Hopkins determined that medical negligence was tragically to blame for more than 250,000 deaths every year in the United States. 

If you suffered harm due to medical malpractice in Fairfield County, you have a legal right to pursue a medical malpractice claim against the negligent physician or other healthcare providers.

Who Could Be Liable for Medical Malpractice in Fairfield, CT?

Who Could Be Liable for Medical Malpractice in Fairfield, CT?You could also hold other healthcare professionals liable for medical malpractice, depending on which parties contributed to your injuries through medical negligence. Other licensed medical providers such as nurses, doctor’s assistants, and anesthesiologists could also be held responsible for medical malpractice.

If the doctor or medical worker is an employee of a hospital or healthcare facility, the facility could potentially be held responsible through vicarious liability. In Connecticut, courts decide whether a hospital or medical facility is liable for the actions of a negligent employee, including doctors, or staff members on a case-by-case basis.

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What Damages Could a Victim Recover in a Medical Malpractice Case?

Depending on the damages you suffered, you could recover compensation for: 

  • Medical expenses
  • Lost wages from missed work
  • Reduced future earning capacity if you are left disabled due to malpractice
  • Physical and emotional pain and suffering
  • Loss of quality of life and the cost of care required as a result of the negligence

Connecticut is a state that does not place a cap on the compensation you can recover in a medical malpractice lawsuit. There is no limit to the amount a judge or jury can award you.

What Is Needed to Prove Responsibility for Medical Malpractice?

For your medical malpractice claim to succeed, you must prove liability. 

First, you must establish that a doctor-patient relationship exists. You could do this by submitting doctor’s visit bills, hospital bills, or other medical records. 

Once the doctor-patient relationship has been verified, you will need to show that the doctor or other medical professional was obligated to provide the same standard of care that would be expected of any other similar medical provider and that they failed to uphold this responsibility through some form of negligence (such as misdiagnosing your condition or performing an unnecessary procedure). 

You must also demonstrate that the medical provider’s negligence directly led to your injury or illness and that you suffered compensable losses (such as medical expenses and pain and suffering) due to the act of malpractice.  

Statute of Limitations on Medical Malpractice Cases in Connecticut

The statute of limitations on medical malpractice cases (Connecticut General Statute § 52-584) in Connecticut is generally two years from the date of the injury or from the date the patient discovered or reasonably should have discovered the injury. 

There is also a three-year statute of repose on medical malpractice lawsuits. That means no patient can bring a medical malpractice claim after three years have passed, even if the patient doesn’t realize that malpractice occurred until after the statute of repose has expired. 

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