If you or your loved one has suffered harm because of a medical professional’s failure to diagnose or treat a condition properly, you may be able to recover financial compensation. At Arfaa Law Group, our diligent and hard-working Baltimore medical injury attorneys understand the intricacies of Maryland medical malpractice laws and can apply our knowledge to your case.
A California hospital recently agreed to pay a woman nearly $4 million to settle a medical malpractice claim that was filed by the family of a woman who has been in a coma since 2015, when she went into cardiac arrest in an emergency room waiting area after being discharged. According to the complaint, the woman’s family claimed that hospital staff overlooked signs that the woman was experiencing heart failure when she came to the emergency room with difficulty breathing and a known medical history of diabetes and kidney failure. In fact, the emergency staff allegedly gave the woman a narcotic and released her. She was in the hospital waiting room when she collapsed from suffering diabetic ketoacidosis, a life-threatening complication of diabetes, which can be triggered by a heart attack.
All medical professionals have an obligation to provide patients with competent care. In Maryland, medical malpractice occurs when a patient suffers injury, harm or death as the result of a medical professional’s neglect, omission or error in judgment. In order to establish medical malpractice, the patient has the burden to show that the medical professional violated the accepted standard of care, and that this violation was a direct and proximate cause of the injury. The standard of care refers to the level of care that a prudent medical professional in the same specialty would have used under the same or similar circumstances. In the aforementioned case, the plaintiffs alleged that the medical professionals violated the standard of care when instead of providing the patient with the necessary screening tests, they gave her narcotic pain medications, which further suppressed her respiratory system and discharged her from the hospital.
In Maryland, there is a limited timeframe for victims of medical malpractice to file a lawsuit, known as the statute of limitations. Generally, a victim of medical malpractice must file their claim within five years from the date of the injury or three years from the discovery of the injury, whichever is earlier. If you fail to file your claim in civil court within the relevant time frame, you will no longer be eligible to file your claim unless an exception applies.
When a medical professional fails to diagnose or treat your condition in a timely manner, the consequences can be devastating. If this has happened to you or someone close to you, we can help. At Arfaa Law Group, our seasoned Baltimore hospital malpractice attorneys will aggressively advocate for your rights and help you secure the compensation you deserve. With years of experience, you can rest assured that we understand the nuances of this area of law. To schedule a free and private consultation, please call us today at 410-889-1850 or contact us online.