Florida Medical Malpractice Attorney
When you have been the victim of a physician’s negligence in Florida, the medical malpractice lawyers at the Law Offices of Wolf & Pravato can fight for justice on your behalf. With offices throughout South Florida and beyond, our Florida medical malpractice attorney team is ready to help you.
A physician’s or emergency room staff member’s carelessness can be devastating to patients and their families. In the days following your injuries, contacting a medical malpractice attorney is a step in the right direction toward your recovery.
Our Florida Medical Malpractice Attorney help To File your Claim
Our team at the Law Offices of Wolf & Pravato has seen all too often the significant financial and emotional costs when a physician fails to live up to his or her obligations. From misdiagnosing diseases, such as mesothelioma, to causing wrongful death, we can help you seek the justice you deserve and guide you through every step of your claim.
Call the Law Offices of Wolf & Pravato at (954) 633-8270 to speak with a member of our team in South Florida. We offer free consultations and can review the facts of your potential Florida medical malpractice case today.
What are the Ways Medical Malpractice Can Occur in Florida?
Medical malpractice can occur in many ways. Any time a doctor or another care provider fails to provide an acceptable standard of care or deviates from the acceptable protocols, and the patient suffers as a result, it could potentially support a medical malpractice case.
Some ways that medical malpractice may occur in Florida include:
1. Missed Diagnosis
A missed diagnosis occurs when the patient does not get a diagnosis despite having symptoms that another doctor with the same training would have likely correctly identified. A missed diagnosis may occur because of carelessness, because a doctor ignored test results, or because someone misread a report from the lab. A missed diagnosis or delayed diagnosis can be very serious if the patient has a progressive or life-threatening condition.
2. Wrong Diagnosis
When a patient receives the wrong diagnosis, there are additional concerns. This is because not only does the patient not receive the care they need for their medical condition, but they receive treatment for a condition they do not have. Depending on the facts of the case, this could cause a worsening of symptoms, additional pain, and suffering, or even death.
3. Medication Errors
Medication errors can occur if a medical professional:
- Gives an improper dose of medication.
- Gives an extra dose of medication.
- Misses a dose of medication.
- Gives the wrong medication.
- Gives the wrong instructions for taking the medication.
- Fails to notice potential drug interactions or allergies.
Medication errors can cause problems because the patient either does not get the adequate dose or they receive too much.
Medications with similar names may be swapped by a negligent doctor, causing reactions, overdoses, or injuries. Medication errors may occur because of a pharmacist, doctor, nurse, or another member of the patient’s care team.
4. Surgical Errors
Surgical errors are likely among the most well-known types of medical malpractice. They occur at hospitals across the country. Some types of surgical errors may include:
- Performing surgery on the wrong side, wrong organ, or otherwise wrong site.
- Performing unnecessary surgery.
- Performing surgery on the wrong patient.
- Leaving items inside the patient following surgery.
5. Birth Injuries
The birth of your child should be one of the most joyful occasions as a parent, but when complications arise and physicians and medical teams mishandle the situation, the child may be injured. Even common birth injuries can cause your child to be permanently disabled. If your newborn’s delivery results in cerebral palsy, Erb’s palsy, or another form of birth injury, call the Law Offices of Wolf & Pravato.
6. Dentistry
One of the under-reported areas of medical malpractice is in the fields of dentistry. Many people understand the severity of what can go wrong when they have a medical or surgical procedure, but they are often still ignorant of what could possibly happen as a negative outcome from a dental procedure. If you or someone you love has been injured by a dental procedure and you feel that negligence was involved, then contact the law offices of Wolf & Pravato.
What If Medical Malpractice Happen in The Fields of Dentistry in Florida?
One of the under-reported areas of medical malpractice is in the fields of dentistry. Many people understand the severity of what can go wrong when they have a medical or surgical procedure, but they are often still ignorant of what could possibly happen as a negative outcome from a dental procedure.
Our Florida Medical Malpractice Attorney Is Here To Help In Dental Negligence
If you or someone you love has been injured by a dental procedure and you feel that dental negligence was involved, then contact Florida medical malpractice attorney at the Law Offices of Wolf & Pravato so you can learn more about your legal rights in this matter when it comes to suing for dental malpractice.
What If Medical Malpractice Happen in the Field of Birth Injury in Florida?
The birth of your child should be one of the most joyful occasions as a parent, but when complications arise and physicians and medical teams mishandle the situation, the child may be injured. Even common birth injuries can cause your child to be permanently disabled. When your newborn’s delivery results in a Cerebral Palsy Misdiagnosis Lawsuit, a birth injury lawyer from Law Offices of Wolf & Pravato in Florida can help.
Why Medical Malpractice Is More Than an Unfavorable Outcome in Florida?
If your medical diagnosis, treatment, or procedure did not go as planned, and you had an unfavorable outcome, you may have experienced medical malpractice.
Call Medical Malpractice Attorney Florida To Evaluate your Case
Our team can evaluate your case and help you understand if your case may support legal action against the Florida doctor or hospital.
Medical negligence is at the center of all medical malpractice cases. To seek compensation on your behalf, we will need to uncover evidence that your doctor acted in a careless or negligent way. This can occur when the doctor deviates from the expected and accepted way to do things, failing to provide an appropriate standard of care.
The components we must prove to show medical negligence include:
Duty of Care
To hold a doctor liable for medical malpractice, you must have some form of a doctor-patient relationship. You may have a doctor-patient relationship with a variety of providers that treat you, even if they are not your primary care physician. This may include your personal doctor, any specialists you see, your dentist, and other care providers, doctors working in the emergency department when you visit, and surgeons who perform procedures on you.
Failure to Uphold That Duty of Care
When a doctor fails to follow standard protocols or ignores procedures in place to ensure patient safety, or when they take other steps that could endanger their patient, they may be violating their duty of care. Doctors are expected to act in the same way and provide the same care as others with similar experience and training in the same geographic area would.
Their Failure Led to Your Injuries
Even if a doctor makes a careless or reckless mistake, it is not medical malpractice unless the patient suffers an injury as a direct result. When we build Florida medical malpractice cases, we have to collect evidence to prove the link between the doctor’s negligent behavior and the patient’s injury.
What If You Suffered Damages as a Result of Doctor’s Negligence Actions?
To pursue a medical malpractice claim in Florida, you must have sustained actual economic or non-economic losses. The type and amount of these losses may vary widely. They could include additional medical care costs, lost wages because you missed work, and the pain and suffering you endured because of the doctor’s negligence.
In any situation where medical negligence played a significant role in causing a patient’s injuries, all four of these components may be present.
If Your Suffer Damage Like this Talk To The Florida Medical Malpractice Lawyers
In the days following your injuries, call the Law Offices of Wolf & Pravato today at (954) 633-8270 to discuss your case with a member of our team at no cost to you and your family. We may be able to discuss your case and what legal options are available to you.
How Florida Medical Malpractice Lawyer May Be Able to Pursue a Payout in Your Case?
The Florida medical malpractice claims process is complex. When you hire the Law Offices of Wolf & Pravato to represent you, our team can take on many tasks in your medical malpractice case, including:
Investigating and Collecting Evidence to Prove the Case
Our team can dive into an investigation of your case to locate evidence of possible instances of medical malpractice. This may include a review of your medical records, witness statements, hospital records, and more.
We Work Closely with the Medical Experts
We have a network of medical experts that may be called upon to testify in your defense if your case requires it. These experts may be able to testify in an affidavit that they believe medical malpractice occurred, how it occurred, who committed it, and how it affected your health.
We Know How to Identify and Document Your Damages
Our team will conduct a thorough investigation of your damages as we prepare your case. We may be able to uncover a broad range of losses or expenses that you incurred, utilize resources to put a fair price on pain and suffering damages, and even work with medical or vocational experts to get a better understanding of the cost of your future medical care or ongoing care costs.
We Advocate for Our Clients Throughout the Claims Process
The claims process for pursuing financial recovery in a Florida medical malpractice case is not simple to navigate.
Florida requires us to notify the physician or organization responsible for your injuries in advance, as outlined in Florida statute 766.106. During this time, you may receive a settlement offer from the responsible party’s insurance company. We will determine if this offer is fair based on the losses our client endured. If they are not, we may take the case to trial.
When we represent you, we will handle all paperwork, communications, and negotiations in the claims process on your behalf.
To learn more about how a Florida medical malpractice lawyer may be able to help, call the Law Offices of Wolf & Pravato today.
What Damages Recoverable in a Florida Medical Malpractice Case?
When we seek compensation for a client injured because of their doctor’s medical negligence, we pursue damages that may include:
- Additional medical care costs incurred as a result of the malpractice
- Ongoing and future care costs, including medical care
- Lost wages for the time they missed at work due to their injuries
- Diminished earning capacity if their permanent injuries prevent them from returning
- Miscellaneous related costs
- Pain and suffering damages
- Wrongful death damages, if the victim passed away
Florida law may limit the amount of non-economic damages available in a medical malpractice lawsuit. This limit can be anywhere from $500,000 to $1.5 million, depending on the specifics of your case.
What is the Legal Deadline for Filing Medical Malpractice Lawsuits in Florida?
There are deadlines we must meet in a Florida medical malpractice case, as dictated by the Florida statute of limitations.
In general, Florida imposes a two-year time limit on filing a medical malpractice lawsuit, from the time your injuries were discovered, or should have been discovered, but no more than four years in total from the original act of malpractice. There may be exceptions in some cases that extend this deadline.
Call the Law Offices of Wolf & Pravato as soon as you discover the possible medical malpractice, and we may be able to take on your case and ensure you meet all the necessary deadlines.
Victim of Medical Negligence! Call Our Medical Malpractice Attorneys in Florida
If you or a loved one suffered needlessly because of medical negligence, reach out to the Law Offices of Wolf & Pravato today for a free case review. You do not need to face the medical care providers responsible for your injuries alone.
We may be able to represent your medical malpractice case on a contingency-fee-basis, where you are not required to make any advanced payments for our services. In this arrangement, we only collect compensation for our legal fees as a percentage of your settlement offer of court awards, if and when you recover compensation.
FAQs about Florida Medical Malpractice Lawyer
If a doctor’s negligence injured you, you may have the right to seek compensation in a medical malpractice lawsuit. Negligent actions from nurses, care staff, hospital administrators, pharmacists, and other medical professionals can also warrant a medical malpractice lawsuit.
If you experienced medical malpractice, a medical malpractice lawyer Florida may be able to help you fight for compensation. Common examples of medical malpractice may include:
- Misdiagnosis
- Delayed diagnosis
- Injury during a medical procedure
- Receiving the wrong type of treatment
- Incorrect medications for an injury or illness
- Birth injuries
- Surgical errors
- And more
If you suffered these or any other types of medical negligence in Florida, you do not need to face the process of seeking compensation alone. You may be able to hire a malpractice lawyer to seek a medical malpractice settlement for the damages you were unfairly made to suffer.
Tragically, doctor negligence can sometimes be fatal. According to a study by Johns Hopkins Medicine, medical errors lead to an estimated 250,000 deaths every year. Surviving family members of those killed by medical negligence may be able to file a wrongful death lawsuit.
Many law firms that handle wrongful death lawsuits may also be able to help you with a wrongful death case.
1. Can You Sue for Medical Malpractice in Florida, USA?
Yes, you can sue for medical malpractice in Florida. If you were injured or harmed in any way by the treatment or care you received at a hospital, a clinic, or elsewhere by a doctor, nurse, or any other certified caregiver, you may be able to seek compensation for your damages. In order to win your lawsuit, you may need to show that the treatment you received was not up to a reasonable standard of medical care.
2. What Is Considered Medical Negligence in Florida?
Anything that a doctor or another caregiver does to a patient during the administration of care or treatment that does not meet the standard of care or is not backed by established care procedures and causes harm to a patient may be categorized as medical negligence. Such actions may be grounds for a medical malpractice lawsuit.
3. Who Can Register a Medical Malpractice Lawsuit in Florida?
If you were harmed or injured because of the actions or negligence of your doctor or another caregiver, you can register a medical malpractice lawsuit in Florida. If you decide to hire a malpractice lawyer to represent you, they can submit a claim on your behalf so that you can seek a medical malpractice settlement from the doctor, nurse, or hospital that harmed you.
4. When Should I Hire a Malpractice Lawyer in Florida?
In Florida, you generally have two years from when you discovered that you were harmed by the actions of a medical care provider to file a medical malpractice lawsuit. However, some circumstances can change this deadline and require you to act sooner. You can hire a malpractice lawyer at any point during this time to help with gathering evidence and filing a claim.
5. What Is the Difference Between Negligence and Malpractice?
Negligence is what occurs when a doctor’s actions fall below a reasonable standard of medical care. In other words, when a doctor does something that they weren’t supposed to do or doesn’t do something they were supposed to do, it may qualify as negligence. Medical malpractice is a type of personal injury legal action that can hold a doctor liable for the injuries their negligence causes.
If you were the victim of medical malpractice, a medical malpractice attorney from the Law Offices of Wolf & Pravato may be able to help you. We represent medical malpractice victims in Florida. We also handle wrongful death cases.
As a full-service law firm, the Law Offices of Wolf & Pravato can handle all of the legal work in your case when we represent you. This may include:
- Answering your questions, giving you legal advice, and keeping you updated on the progress of your case
- Investigating your case and collecting evidence
- Hiring a medical expert to testify in your defense
- Managing all deadlines, paperwork, and communication in your case
- Negotiating for a settlement
- Taking your case to trial, if necessary
For a free, no-obligation case review with a member of our team, call the Law Offices of Wolf & Pravato today at (954) 633-8270. We can discuss your injuries, your legal options, and our services during this call.
If you qualify, the Law Offices of Wolf & Pravato may be able to represent you on a contingency-fee-basis with no up-front payments required. In this payment structure, we do not charge our clients attorney fees unless and until they recover compensation via a settlement offer or court award.
Contact the Law Offices of Wolf & Pravato About Your Florida Medical Malpractice Case
You can reach a Florida medical malpractice lawyer by calling a member of our team at (954) 633-8270. When you work with the Law Offices of Wolf & Pravato, you can expect prompt and responsive communication from our caring staff throughout the duration of your case.
