stethoscope and gavel representing medical malpractice

What Is Medical Malpractice?

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As patients, we expect a lot of doctors and other medical professionals. After all, our health is in their hands. Most of the time, they meet or exceed our standards, providing us with excellent care and properly addressing our medical issues. However, healthcare professionals sometimes make mistakes, and when a healthcare professional makes a particularly careless mistake, it is considered malpractice. Below is an overview of medical malpractice in New Mexico

Types of Medical Malpractice

There are many behaviors that fall under the broad umbrella of medical malpractice, including:

  • Unneeded surgery
  • Errors in surgery
  • Improper site surgery
  • Improper medication 
  • Incorrect medication
  • Failure to diagnose
  • Misdiagnosis
  • Failure to follow up
  • Failure to provide proper aftercare
  • Premature discharge
  • Lab result errors
  • Incorrect medication dosage
  • Failure to take patient history
  • Failure to properly recognize patient symptoms

The Elements of Malpractice in New Mexico 

In order to prove medical malpractice in New Mexico, a patient’s attorney must demonstrate the following elements:

  1. The medical provider owed a duty to the patient: This generally means that the patient must have been under the care of the medical professional.  
  2. The medical provider breached this duty through an act or omission: This means that the medical provider, in caring for the patient, failed to use the skill and care expected of a qualified health care professional practicing under similar circumstances.
  3. The patient was damaged as a result of the medical provider’s breach of this duty: This means that the patient must have suffered some harm due to the medical professional’s actions. 

Proving Medical Malpractice

If you are a victim of medical malpractice, you’ll have to prove the above elements in court. In order to do so, your attorney will have a medical expert testify that your medical provider’s conduct fell below the appropriate standard of care and that you were injured as a result. Often, the result of a medical malpractice case hinges on the performance of the expert witness and the knowledge and experience of the patient’s medical malpractice attorney, making it imperative that you hire an experienced attorney to handle your case.  

Contact the Hunt Law Firm Today

If you are a victim of medical malpractice in New Mexico, Hunt Law Firm is here to help. Our attorneys are highly experienced in handling these cases, and we dedicate our practice to holding negligent medical professionals accountable for the harm they cause patients. 

Doctors and other medical professionals often seek to deny liability or settle malpractice claims for as little money as possible. However, with our attorneys on your side, you can rest assured that we’ll use our skills, experience, and resources to hold them financially responsible for their actions. If you have suffered harm at the hands of a medical professional in New Mexico, please contact us today for a free consultation.