Medical Malpractice – How to Claim Compensation
Instances of medical malpractice and consequent lawsuits are becoming more common across Canada. Medical malpractice is simply a term that refers to a medical negligence committed by a doctor, nurse or any other medical professional, leading to injury or wrongful death.
It is important to understand that not every bad outcome in medicine is the result of medical malpractice.An element of risk is associated with almost all medical procedures and there are some illnesses that no medical treatment can cure. In Ontario, doctors, nurses and other medical professionals are responsible only if their treatment fell below a standard of acceptable care. Medical professionals are held to a standard of reasonable care, not perfect care.
Some of the most common examples of medical malpractice include birth injuries, diagnosis errors, emergency errors, anesthesia errors, errors during surgery, prescribing or administering wrong medications, negligent hospital procedures, irresponsible patient monitoring, errors in the labs, etc.
If a medical procedure results in an unfavorable outcome and is caused by a breach of the standard of medical care, it may lead to a successful medical malpractice lawsuit.
In Ontario, due to the sheer complexity and high costs associated with medical malpractice claims, the threshold for taking on such claims is high. That is to say, the costs to investigate and prosecute a medical malpractice claim are substantial; well into the thousands of dollars. Therefore, unless the injuries suffered by the patient are significant, it may not be economically feasible to start a medical malpractice claim.
If you or someone you care about has suffered serious permanent damages as a result of a negligent act or omission by a health care professional, we can help. For many years, the lawyers at Mackesy Smye have been representing medical malpractice victims.
There is a wide array of cases that may qualify as medical malpractice, and our lawyers are well-trained to handle any number of them.
Contact our trusted medical malpractice lawyers for a free consultation.