Medical malpractice law in Georgia entitles you to compensation for any damages suffered as a result of negligence of a doctor or medical professional. This implies that if you or your loved ones suffer an injury due to improper treatment by a healthcare professional in Georgia, you can launch a malpractice claim against the healthcare professional. If you succeed in your claim, you can be awarded compensation for the incurred damages including pain, suffering and medical costs.
However, if you are thinking of filing a claim for medical malpractice, it is important that you understand the basics of medical malpractice law. Additionally, it is advisable that you seek help of a professional medical malpractice attorney to represent you in the court of law.
According to medical malpractice law, a medical malpractice happens when a healthcare or medical professional including a nurse, a dentist, a doctor or a medical institution violates the care standards when treating a patient, thus inflicting an injury or death of the patient. Care standards may vary from one state to another but generally they are the generally accepted practices and standards that medical professionals use in treating patients who suffer from specific disorder or ailment.
Care standard vary on the basis of different factors including the overall health and age of the patient. When filing a claim for medical malpractice, one must prove that the doctor violated the care standards and that this caused the injury. This is not easy to prove and in most cases expert witnesses are required because they know about the used medication.
However, after proving that there was a medical malpractice the patient is awarded medical malpractice damages. Injured patients get varying damages. They can be compensatory damages. These are damages awarded for the financial losses incurred. These include medical costs as well as loss of wages due to the days that one missed work.
There are also non-economic damages. This is compensation given for things like suffering and pain. Other types of possible damages are called punitive damages. They are awarded as a punishment to the provider of medical services or the entity that caused injury to the patient due to reckless actions. For a patient to be awarded punitive damages under medical malpractice law in Georgia the evidence must be convincing and clear. The victim must prove that provider of healthcare services had willful misconduct and malice or even fraud while offering a service.
If you sustain injury while or after undergoing treatment in Georgia, you can launch a legitimate claim. Medical malpractice law in Georgia entitles you to compensation for such injuries.