To be able to file a medical malpractice lawsuit, you’ll need to show that certain conditions obtained. What conditions must be true for a patient to pursue a medical malpractice lawsuit? When the medical malpractice lawyers in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at Scanlon & Wojton review your medical malpractice case, they’ll look for the following conditions:

• You were a patient of the doctor or medical provider. To be able to sue a doctor for medical malpractice, you’ll need to be able to show that the person was your doctor, surgeon, or nurse.
• Negligence took place. Negligence can take place in many forms, but ultimately to prove negligence, you’ll need to show that your doctor or medical provider failed to offer the standard of care. In general, to be able to sue for medical malpractice, you’ll need to show that another competent and skilled doctor would have provided a different kind of care to you under similar circumstances and with similar conditions presenting. This is where medical malpractice claims can get complicated and may require the expert opinion of other medical providers.
• The doctor or medical provider’s negligence caused harm. If a patient has a terminal illness and a doctor made a mistake or acted negligently, but the doctor’s actions didn’t really change the course of the illness, it might be difficult for a victim or family to show that a doctor did harm. But, if a misdiagnosis or failure to diagnose led to a worsening of your condition, like cancer moving from say, stage 2 to stage 4, or if your doctor’s surgical error resulted in painful complications or the need for more surgery or disability, or if a doctor’s prescription error led to an overdose, and you can show proof that your doctor or medical provider caused harm, you may be able to pursue a medical malpractice lawsuit. Birth injuries can be among the most serious medical malpractice claims a family can bring, because these injuries can often impact a baby for the rest of his or her life.
• Finally, when filing a medical malpractice claim, you’ll need to specify the damages caused by the negligent act. In other words, if you had to have two more surgeries, what did these added surgeries cost, how long did you miss from work, and did you suffer pain as a result? Or, if you suffered an overdose due to a medical error, what complications did the overdose cause, how long did you miss from work, and did you require corrective medical care? A misdiagnosis or failure to diagnose could result in a longer course of illness, more serious illness, or even terminal diagnosis. Your medical malpractice lawyer in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania can consult medical experts to help you estimate the added costs misdiagnosis or failure to diagnose cost you.

These are the standards that must be met to file a medical malpractice claim. Before you can file a medical malpractice claim you’ll need to secure a Certificate of Merit from another medical provider asserting that your medical malpractice claim is valid. This tells the court that a medical provider reviewed your case, found that the doctor treating you was negligent and that the failure to treat or the treatment provided caused harm.

If you believe you were hurt due to a doctor or medical provider’s actions or failure to act, you may want to reach out to the medical malpractice lawyers in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at Scanlon & Wojton: Attorneys at Law. Our medical malpractice law firm offers new clients a free initial consultation during which we can review your case, help you determine the best course forward, and assist you with the next steps.