Medical Malpractice Attorneys in Grand Rapids

Helping Victims Recover from the Impact of Negligent Care

When we’re sick or injured, we expect doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and other medical professionals to provide the care we need. Sadly, not everyone is as competent in their responsibilities as we hope they are. In most professions, inadequacy may contribute to inconvenience and frustration. But for people whose job it is to provide healthcare, any negligence has the potential to cause illness, injury, or death.

The Grand Rapids medical malpractice lawyers of Goodman Acker P.C. are available to help when you or a loved one is harmed by a negligent medical provider. We can help you understand how your injuries happened, who is at fault, and how you can recover damages.

Call (248) 286-8100 or complete our contact form to schedule a free consultation.

What Constitutes Medical Malpractice?

Medical malpractice cases focus on violations of a medical professional’s “standard of care.” What is the standard of care? As a person who is employed in the medical field, doctors, nurses, and others have a responsibility to provide their patients with the best care possible. A medical professional who fails to do this is negligent. When their negligence is to the extent that they cause harm to a patient, the victim may be eligible to pursue a medical malpractice claim.

Types of Medical Malpractice

Medical malpractice cases may involve any person who is responsible for providing care: Doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and EMTs can all be found liable in cases of medical malpractice. All of these people have a duty to provide their patients with quality care, and the potential to be negligent during the medical care process.

A medical malpractice claim may involve cases such as:

• Surgical errors — During surgery, a negligent doctor may cause injury by operating on the wrong body part, cutting or piercing an organ, or leaving tools inside a patient’s body. Anesthesia errors are another type of surgical error.
• Medication errors — Medication errors may include cases in which a doctor prescribes an incorrect medication, or cases in which a pharmacist provides an incorrect medication. Medication errors are very dangerous, because of the risk of developing side effects in addition to the existing condition.
• Missed or delayed diagnosis — A delayed or missed diagnosis can leave a person without proper treatment, as their condition progresses and is left unaddressed. This can worsen their existing condition, contribute to the development of added injury or illness, or cause death in severe instances.
• Inaccurate diagnosis — Like a delayed or missed diagnosis, an inaccurate diagnosis can be extremely harmful to a patient. If a condition is inaccurately assessed, a person could take medication they do not need or be subjected to unnecessary surgery and treatment.
• Birth injuries — A doctor who is negligent during a birth could injure the mother and their baby. Birth injuries can cause long-term complications in an infant (such as cerebral palsy or Erb’s palsy) or be fatal.

Medical Malpractice Laws in Michigan

The state of Michigan has specific laws concerning the damages and timeline of medical malpractice cases. In Michigan, medical malpractice victims have two years from the date of an incident or six months following the discovery of a medical malpractice incident (if it can be proven that the incident was not previously discovered) to file their claim. However, cases related to the discovery of an incident cannot be filed any later than six years after the occurrence of the incident, except in cases in which the “discovery of the existence of the claim was prevented by the fraudulent conduct of the health care professional” or “there has been permanent loss of or damage to a reproductive organ resulting in the inability to procreate,” according to Michigan Compiled Laws Section 600.5838a.

By filing a medical malpractice claim, victims and their families can recover finances which compensate for medical bills (both related to the original ailment and further injuries resulting from negligence), lost wages, and funeral expenses. Additionally, it may be possible to recover non-economic damages for pain and suffering, emotional distress, and other costs that are not financial. The state of Michigan caps non-economic damages at a limit of $280,000. As stated in Michigan Compiled Laws Section 600.1483, an exception to this cap is in cases of paralysis caused by brain or spinal cord injury, “permanently impaired cognitive capacity,” or “permanent loss of or damage to a reproductive organ.” In these cases, the maximum is raised to $500,000.

Schedule a Free Consultation with our Legal Team

A person who is injured while attempting to receive medical treatment can sustain severe, long-term injuries. When a doctor fails to fulfill their responsibility to provide care to their patients, those patients not only do not receive proper treatment for the conditions they have already, but suffer from further injuries caused by oversight, surgery mistakes, and improper medication.

Medical malpractice results in immeasurable distress for victims. The attorneys of Goodman Acker P.C. can help your family recover the compensation you deserve and provide knowledge and support throughout your case.

For a free consultation with our Grand Rapids medical malpractice attorneys, send us a message or call (248) 286-8100.