5 Key Tips for Choosing a Medical Malpractice Lawyer

Errors within medical procedures make one of the leading causes of preventable deaths in the U.S. About 251,000 people die annually due to medical negligence. Keep in mind these numbers only represent about 10% of the cases.

Generally, the U.S. has higher error rates in medical procedures than other developed countries such as UK and Canada. Fortunately, malpractice lawyers can represent medical negligence victims suffering from serious injuries or even death.

Medical negligence can be wrong prescriptions, misdiagnosis, or surgical errors. Proving the practitioner’s negligence in a medical malpractice case is quite complex. That’s why you need an experienced medical malpractice lawyer to step in for you.

So, how do you choose the right law firm for your medical malpractice case? What factors do you need to consider? We’ve highlighted five tips that will help you.

1. Ask for Direct References and Reviews

Before settling for any medical malpractice law firm, you can ask for direct references from friends and family. In most cases, your friends will point you to someone with experience in proving errors in medical procedures.

Also, check out what other clients say about a particular law firm. You can find anecdotal accounts of their experiences in reviews. Positive reviews on social media or the attorney’s website show competent services.

2. Inquire About Expert Witness in Medical Procedures

You’ll need an expert witness to prove negligence in medical procedures. The law firm should provide an expert medical witness on your behalf.

It can be specialized spinal cord doctors or even pathologists in the case of death. Note that your case has slim chances of succeeding without an expert medical witness.

3. Flexible Meeting Times and Availability

You’ll likely win a medical negligence lawsuit if your attorney genuinely cares about the case. You want a lawyer who is available for meetings with all the concerned parties. Even better, you want open communication lines to address arising concerns.

Working with an attentive medical malpractice lawyer reduces anxiety. It also raises your hopes for getting justice. Click https://www.curcio-law.com/practice-areas/medical-malpractice/birth-injuries/ to speak with attentive medical malpractice lawyers for birth injuries.

4. What’s the Attorney’s Success Rate?

What’s the attorney’s success rate in medical malpractice litigations? Do they win more cases? Proving medical negligence is difficult and you want a law firm that handles and wins cases similar to yours.

Most importantly, you want the medical malpractice lawyer to reveal the odds of your case succeeding. If the medical negligence claim looks frivolous, your lawyer should advise you accordingly. Sometimes, negotiating compensation out of court may be better.

5. Ask About Legal Fees

Most law firms will only charge for a medical malpractice case if it succeeds. Typically, the legal fee should be a percentage of your winnings.

If you don’t win the case, you don’t owe your attorney anything. Even so, it is prudent to discuss this fee beforehand.

You want to know the payment options available. You also want the lawyer to explain any hidden fees. This might save you from filing another civil lawsuit due to payment misunderstandings with your lawyer.

Find an Experienced Medical Malpractice Attorney

Many people don’t find anything enjoyable with medical procedures, even if it’s a minor checkup. However, if errors arise in the process, things can shift from bad to worse, sometimes resulting in death. Use these tips to get an experienced attorney to represent you in such cases.

If you have any more questions about medical malpractice attorneys, check out other articles on this site for answers.