MEDICAL MALPRACTICE FAQ

No, they are not. However, because statistics show that medical malpractice is prevalent, if you or a loved one has suffered an unexpected injury or death, you should look into whether the injury or death was caused by medical negligence. Consults with medical malpractice attorneys are generally free so there is no reason to not at least inquire. Medical malpractice claims often resolve for millions of dollars.

For example, in cerebral palsy (CP) cases, the cost of providing care for a child over a lifetime can exceed a million dollars. If the CP was caused on the part of a doctor, his insurance company may be responsible for paying for that care.

Medical mistakes are common in Maryland, Virginia and throughout the entire United States. A recent study published by the Institute of Medicine reported that up to 98,000 people each year in American hospitals die due to medical mistakes. In other words, medical mistakes are the 8th leading cause of death in our Country. Medical malpractice mistakes involving errors caused injuries to over 1.3 million persons a year.

To fall within the definition, a physician or health care provider in Maryland or Virginia commits medical malpractice and is negligent, when he or she fails to act reasonably under the circumstances and the unreasonable conduct causes harm.

Obviously, if you are injured due to the medical malpractice of a Maryland physician you need to hire a top medical malpractice attorney. However, our medical malpractice clients often ask if there is also a way they can help others from suffering the same fate. The answer is yes.

Maryland has set up the Maryland Board of Physicians to protect the public from bad doctors. In fact, during the year 2011, the board handled 1,730 complaints against doctors. It actually took 164 formal actions against certain doctors as a result of the complaints. Clearly, the law provides that you may seek monetary damages as a result of a negligent act committed by a Maryland doctor. However, in an attempt to protect the public from a doctor who is incompetent, or who may just clearly injure a person again, Maryland has set up this special board. A complaint must be filed for the board to take any action. Therefore, Portner & Shure advises its Maryland medical malpractice clients to also explore this remedy if they believe the incident was more than just a one-time medical mistake.