Myrtle Beach Medical Malpractice Lawyer
We put a lot of trust in doctors and other medical professionals to diagnose and treat ailments ranging from the flu or broken bones to cancers and other debilitating medical conditions. While many medical professionals deserve the trust we put in them, an alarming number fail to live up to our expectations. Nurses, doctors, surgeons, pharmacists and other medical professionals who are negligent in their care of patients can and should be held liable for their lack of care. One way that this can be achieved is by filing a civil lawsuit, known as a medical malpractice claim against the negligent party. To learn more about pursuing this type of claim, reach out to our experienced Myrtle Beach medical malpractice lawyer today.
What is Medical Malpractice?
Under South Carolina law, medical malpractice occurs when a healthcare provider or institution fails to act as a reasonably prudent provider or healthcare institution would in the same or similar circumstances. This standard of care applies to a wide range of medical professionals, including physicians, surgeons, and nurses, as well as hospitals, birthing centers, ambulatory surgical facilities, and nursing homes.
Examples of Medical Negligence
Because it is defined so broadly, there’s actually a lot of different types of negligent conduct that could qualify as medical malpractice, but the most common involve:
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Misdiagnosing a medical condition due to a failure to order the correct diagnostic tests, misreading the test results, or failing to conduct a physical examination, take a patient’s history, or to communicate with the patient;
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Medication errors, which occur when a provider incorrectly prescribes, dispenses, or administers a medication because of miscommunication between the doctor and the pharmacy, confusion over drug names, or an electronic error;
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Surgical errors, which can occur if a doctor fails to follow the necessary safety protocol, performs the wrongful surgical procedure or performs a procedure on the wrong patient or body part, or uses non-sterilized surgical tools; and
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Anesthesia errors, which include mistakes like delivering the wrong dose, failing to monitor a patient, or failing to properly intubate, all of which can result in brain injury due to lack of oxygen or even death.
For help determining whether you were the victim of medical malpractice, reach out to our experienced legal team today.
Recovering Damages
The amount and types of damages that a victim of medical malpractice can collect will depend on the details of a person’s case, but generally, successful plaintiffs could be entitled to:
- Coverage of past and future medical bills, including corrective treatment;
- Lost wages incurred while the injured party recovered;
- A loss of future income if the injury was so severe that the victim has become permanently disabled;
- Pain and suffering endured by the victim;
- Loss of support or services experienced by the victim’s relatives;
- Emotional distress; and
- Wrongful death damages if the injury resulted in the victim’s demise.
In cases where a healthcare provider exhibited gross negligence, a claimant could even be entitled to an additional award of punitive damages.
Contact Our Myrtle Beach Medical Malpractice Lawyers
At The Stanley Law Group, our dedicated team of Myrtle Beach medical malpractice lawyers has over 60 years of experience helping victims of medical negligence seek compensation for their losses. For a free evaluation of your own case, call us at 803-799-4700 today.
