![[ header image ]](sub/header.jpg)
Medical Malpractice Lawyers
Baltimore, MD, Philadelphia, PA and Delaware
The lawyers in the Medical Malpractice Unit of the Law Offices of Peter G. Angelos believe that the overwhelming and vast majority of the health care provided in this state and this country by physicians and other health care providers is excellent and should be commended. However, like the rest of us, physicians, hospitals, and other health care providers are not infallible; mistakes can occur. Many of these mistakes can be considered or even rise to the level of medical negligence and/or medical malpractice. If you think you've been injured by medical malpractice or negligence you may have a case. Contact us to learn more about your rights.
In Maryland, the courts
believe the terms "negligence" and "malpractice" are
synonymous. Therefore, other than the fact that the claim or
suit being brought is against a medical professional, there
is no significant legal difference between a claim or suit
brought for injuries received as a result of negligent conduct
by individuals or corporations, such as automobile accident
injuries or injuries incurred on the property of 
another, and
those occurring as a result of negligent conduct or actions
by a physician, hospital or other health care provider.
The law gives any individual who has been wronged the right to seek legal help for injuries or damages sustained as a result of negligence. Physicians and other health care providers carry insurance for these risks, much like you carry insurance guarding against risks caused by your mistakes and/or negligence in the operation of a motor vehicle or for a mishap that occurs at your home. The same principle is at work and it's designed to protect the legal rights of innocent victims.
Medical Malpractice
This may surprise you: Every year, medical mistakes kill or injure nearly 100,000 people. That's 273 people a day-far more than are injured in car accidents each year. Many people never know that they or a family member has been injured by medical negligence. The 1991 Harvard Medical Practice Study concluded that in 1984, the year of the study, more than 98,000 adverse events (defined as unintended injury caused by medical management) occurred in New York hospitals, causing 13,451 deaths. However, the study also revealed that very few of the injured patients file a lawsuit. Medical Malpractice can take many forms, from emergency room negligence, mistakes made during major surgery or childbirth, or failure or delays in diagnosing cancer and other medical problems.
The term "medical malpractice" means that a physician or health care provider is negligent because he or she has failed to do something that should have been done, or has done something that should not have been done resulting in injury or death. Many unusual, unexpected, or unintended results or consequences of medical or surgical care rendered by a physician, hospital or health care provider can be considered medical malpractice or medical negligence.
Examples of medical malpractice include:
- Birth trauma/Erb's Palsy
- Birth injury in infants, including Cerebral Palsy
- Late cancer diagnosis
- Wrongful death
- Inappropriate or negligently performed surgery
- Paralysis, quadriplegia
- Amputation
- Misdiagnosis of disease or injury
- Disability
- Disfigurement
- Medication errors
- Retained instruments, sponges, etc.
- Bladder and bowel punctures
- Nerve and artery injuries
- Equipment malfunctions
- Missed heart attack(s) and/or stroke(s)
- Anesthesia injury
Malpractice occurs when a physician or health care provider fails to
meet acceptable standards of care. These "standards
of care" are defined as what a reasonably competent physician,
surgeon, or health care practitioner is required to do under
the circumstances given the diagnosis or treatment of a patient.
If you feel a doctor or hospital may have contributed to the traumatic illness or death of someone you care about-or if you have been a victim yourself-we can help you get the answers you need. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation.
Failure to Diagnose Cancer
When cancer isn't properly diagnosed, the results can be devastating. In fact, one of the leading causes of medical malpractice cases today is failure to diagnose cancer. Sometimes, doctors fail to order the right tests or they simply mistake the signs of cancer for another illness. Whatever the reason, the outcome is not acceptable. Because a timely diagnosis can be such a critical factor in the survival rate of cervical, breast, prostate and other types of cancer, mistakes like this can result in deaths that could have been prevented. If you suspect a loved one's cancer should have been caught earlier, contact us to schedule a complimentary consultation.
Birth Injuries and Cerebral Palsy 
By some estimates, up to 80% of all births involve some form of complication. And, while many complications have a positive resolution, others don't. In these cases, the results can be devastating to a family. Cerebral Palsy, or CP, can be caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain or trauma to the head during labor and delivery. This can be caused by excessive force, failure to do a C-section in a timely manner, or from other decisions made during delivery.
Characterized by a lack of muscle control and body movement, CP can result in a lifetime of special needs. If Cerebral Palsy or another birth injury has affected your family, please contact us to talk about it and schedule your complimentary consultation today.
