Surgical Error Lawyer: 7 Keys to Creating a Strong Case

When you decide to have surgery, whether it’s for cosmetic reasons or because you’re suffering from a condition, you’re putting your wellbeing into the hands of a surgeon and their team. You trust that they will do a good job and that your surgery will be a success. But unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. If you’re suffering from the results of your operation, you can speak to a surgical error lawyer local to Baltimore, who will help you build your case.

Medical malpractice can have a significant impact on your life, particularly if you need to have another surgery to correct the mistake or if you have to take time off work because you’re unwell. For this reason, it’s crucial that you speak to a lawyer who can determine how to best lay out your case. They will tell you what you need to prove, how to find the evidence, and what other professionals can help strengthen your position with their medical expertise.

Surgical Error Lawyer: 7 Keys to Creating a Strong Case

1. Hire a Great Attorney 

Most people who are suffering from the results of a surgery gone wrong aren’t specialists in medical malpractice law, so they might not know what their rights are. The best way to find out whether you have a good case and how much compensation you can expect for your injuries is to speak to a professional in the field. Choose someone who has experience in this area and has worked with similar clients before. 

The best way to figure out whether a law firm could meet your needs is to look through their website. Are there references to surgical errors, and can you find any medical malpractice cases on the “Verdicts & Settlements” page? If you’d like to find out even more, you can read the biographies of individual lawyers and see which ones could be a good fit for you. A larger firm with many employees is usually better because the attorneys are more specialized.

2. Choose Someone Local to Baltimore

When selecting whom to work with, you should also consider whether the lawyers in question are local to your area. There are several advantages to working with someone who has been in the community for a while. Not only do they know the local laws very well, but they will already have built up a network of contacts who can help them out if they need extra evidence. 

For example, a lawyer working at a big, local firm will have many colleagues to consult with. As a result, they can tap into a much wider network and consult with their fellow attorneys if they need more insight. Similarly, they will know other professionals in the area who can strengthen your case. Sometimes, they might even be familiar with the opposing counsel, which can help them to prepare according to the person’s communication style.

3. Know What You Need to Prove 

Before you can gain the compensation you need to move on, you have to prove several things. This serves to convince the judge that you have a valid case and that you were indeed hurt by a surgeon who had a duty of care. First, you must provide evidence that there was a patient-doctor relationship between you and the relevant physician. If you’ve had surgery at a hospital or other medical facility, this should be relatively straightforward. 
Next, you’ll need to define what the required standard of care is, and you have to prove that there was a breach. Depending on the type of surgery you had, this can be trickier, and you might need to consult other medical professionals. Finally, your attorney will find evidence for the damages you have suffered as a result of the incident.

4. Find the Appropriate Evidence 

For each of the aforementioned stages, you will need to find evidence. While you’ll have many of the important documents, you might need to delve deeper to prove that you have a valid claim and that your losses are significant. Your lawyer will tell you what you should bring, for example, all your medical bills resulting from the incident, any photographic or video evidence of the damage, and proof that you had to take time off work or can no longer work.

5. Consult with Professionals 

Sometimes, the standard of care expected from your surgeon can be hard to define, in which case it can pay off to enlist the help of other medical professionals who are respected in the community. They can help to prove that your doctor did not adhere to protocol and that they should have looked after you better. Similarly, they can confirm that your current health issues are a result of the surgery that went wrong. 
The best way to find such professionals to work with is to ask your attorney for help. If you’ve hired a local Baltimore surgical error lawyer, they will know exactly who to contact and they will already know many experts in the area.

6. Research Your Current Options 

After a failed procedure, you may feel that you don’t have many options. But the compensation you receive from your medical malpractice case can change that, and it will allow you to move on with your life. Together with your lawyer, you can find out more about your current options. In many cases, these will include returning to the hospital to have another surgery or intervention that can resolve your issues. 
The medical professionals you’re working with can help you to determine how much such an operation might cost and whether there are any noninvasive methods of fixing the issue. Once you’ve chosen the best option for your situation, you’ll know what level of compensation you need to make it happen. That way, you can let the court know exactly how much money you are expecting to receive to make up for your damages.

7. Find Out Who to Sue 

When they first take on your case, your attorney will double-check whether you’re suing the right person. While it might feel counter-intuitive, the surgeon who operated on you isn’t always the correct person to turn to. Sometimes, the hospital or the employer will take on responsibility for a physician’s mistake. This is another reason why it’s so important that you work with an experienced professional. Suing the wrong person can result in your case failing. 

Surgical errors can have a significant impact on your life. As a result of your operation going wrong, you might need to go back to the hospital for another procedure, take time off work, or even change your job. That’s why it’s crucial that you receive some compensation for the financial hardship you’re experiencing as a result of the surgeon’s mistake.

An expert surgical error lawyer in Baltimore can help you fight for your rights and receive the money you need to move on. They will explain to you what you need to prove and how you can do so, then work with you to find the appropriate evidence and lay it out in a positive way. Get in touch with us today at Peter Angelos Law to book your initial consultation with one of our attorneys. We will be happy to review your situation and advocate for you.