When Albuquerque residents go to a doctor or hospital for treatment, they believe that the medical professional will help them improve their medical condition. When doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and other medical professionals engage in medical malpractice, they can cause serious injuries or even death to innocent patients.
Reach Out to an Albuquerque Medical Malpractice Attorney
If you have become injured due to a medical professional’s negligence, you may be entitled to compensation through a medical malpractice lawsuit. The Albuquerque medical malpractice attorneys at Hunt Law have the knowledge and experience to litigate your case effectively. We have a proven track record of obtaining millions of dollars in compensation for clients like you. Contact Hunt Law today to learn more about your rights.
Succeeding in an Albuquerque Medical Malpractice Lawsuit
When a healthcare professional makes an error that rises to the level of medical malpractice, the victim has the right to pursue compensation through a personal injury lawsuit. Victims of medical negligence can leave people with serious, long-lasting injuries, worsened medical conditions, and substantial financial losses. Victims typically have to contend with significant emotional and physical pain from their injuries through the rest of their lives. To succeed in a medical malpractice lawsuit, you will need to gather evidence that proves the following medical malpractice elements:
- The medical professional owed you a duty to provide a safe, reasonable and informed diagnosis or treatment
- The medical professional breached this legal duty by acting in a negligent or reckless manner
- The negligence action or inaction directly caused the patient’s injury
- The patient sustained a physical injury and/or emotional distress
Gathering Evidence in a Medical Malpractice Case
When you work with Hunt Law, you can rest assured that we will thoroughly investigate your case. From the moment you begin working with us, we will begin investigating your case, preserving evidence, and working with medical experts who can provide analysis regarding your injuries. You do not have to go through this process alone. We will be with you with every step, helping you gather the evidence we need. Make sure you keep all of your medical records, before and after pictures of the injury, if it is physically noticeable, and any correspondence with the medical professional. We will ensure you don’t miss any important details that could help you build your medical malpractice case.
New Mexico Statute of Limitation
Many victims of medical malpractice don’t pursue a claim. Some are uncertain about whether their situation constitutes medical malpractice. Others have concerns about the stress of pursuing a claim. Still, others may wait too long to talk to an attorney and begin pursuing damages. In New Mexico, medical malpractice victims only have three years after the instance of malpractice to file a lawsuit. When a patient doesn’t discover the malpractice until after the incident that caused the injury, he or she has three years from the date of discovery to file a claim.
Misdiagnosis or Delayed Diagnosis
Many different injuries and worsened conditions are caused by medical negligence and malpractice claims. Some medical malpractice cases involve misdiagnosis. The doctor misdiagnoses a patient’s condition with the wrong condition or tells the patient he or she doesn’t have any medical condition. When doctors misdiagnose conditions, the patient’s condition can worsen from not receiving the correct medical treatment for his or her actual illness.
When a doctor negligently delays diagnosing the condition, the patient may have a claim for medical malpractice. Even if the patient eventually received an accurate diagnosis, the delay in diagnosing the condition could worsen, especially for cancer, heart, and kidney conditions. Patients will need to show that the doctor’s initial diagnosis fell below the standard of care expected from similarly-situated doctors. For example, if a similarly-situated doctor would have been able to diagnose stage three cancer, and the defendant did not diagnose stage three cancer, medical malpractice would have occurred.
Negligent Failure to Treat
A doctor might provide the patient with a correct diagnosis, but the patient may not receive appropriate medical treatment. Doctors are under more pressure than ever and frequently try to spend as little time as possible with each patient. When a doctor has too many patients or isn’t careful enough about learning about the patient’s history, they may fail to treat patients effectively, refer the patient to a specialist, or recommend necessary surgical care.
Surgical Malpractice
Some of the most well-known types of medical malpractice involve surgical errors. Many different mistakes can be made while the patient is in surgery that rise to the level of medical malpractice, including the following:
- Conducting surgery on the wrong patient
- Conducting surgery in the wrong physical location
- Damaging tissues, nerves, or organs during surgery
- Performing the wrong surgical procedure
- Using surgical instruments that are not sterilized
- Performing surgery that isn’t necessary
- Leaving objects behind in the patient
- Anesthesia errors
- Failure to provide adequate follow-up care
Albuquerque Birth Injury Attorneys
Birth injuries can be some of the most devastating and life-altering types of medical malpractice. Welcoming an infant into the world should be a special and cherished experience. Unfortunately, when doctors are negligent during the birth process, the mother and the baby can suffer serious injuries or even death. Birth injuries can happen when the doctor fails to monitor the mother and baby during labor or unsafely uses assistive devices. Failure to diagnose serious complications, anesthesia errors, and failure to perform a C-section during an emergency can also cause catastrophic injuries.
Contact a Medical Malpractice Attorney in Albuquerque
If you or your loved one have been injured and you know or suspect that your medical professional caused your injuries, you need an experienced attorney on your side. You may be entitled to compensation for your medical expenses, lost income, pain, and suffering. The attorneys at Hunt Law are prepared to advocate fiercely for you and your rights. Contact Hunt Law today to schedule your free case evaluation and learn more about your legal rights.