Unfortunately, a successful malpractice claim is not easy to build, especially in Tennessee. David Belk, MD, of TrueCostofHealthcare.org, analyzed malpractice lawsuit data from all 50 states. He found that Tennessee ranks 45th out of all 50 states in damages awarded. However, when you have the team of Murfreesboro medical malpractice lawyers from Hughes & Coleman Injury Lawyers on your side, you can rest assured that your case is in good hands.
Schedule a free consultation by calling 800-800-4600 today.
Hughes & Coleman® Holds Negligent Medical Professionals Liable
Hughes & Coleman Injury Lawyers has fought for countless Murfreesboro residents who suffered injuries due to a medical provider’s negligence. We know what it takes to build a successful case. When you enlist our help, we get to work right away, investigating your injury and collecting evidence. A successful case needs to prove four conditions. Together, these conditions show that your doctor committed malpractice:
- Your doctor had a duty of care to you;
- Your doctor did not uphold their duty of care;
- Because of your doctor’s failure, you suffered an injury;
- You sustained economic or noneconomic damages.
Duty of Care
A successful medical malpractice case requires evidence of a duty of care. That is, your doctor had a responsibility to you as a patient. Given that all doctors have a duty of care to active patients, proving this element is often straightforward. We simply must establish that you had a doctor-patient relationship at the time the malpractice occurred. We can do this by presenting billing statements, office paperwork, or insurance documents.
Failure to Uphold That Duty
Once we establish duty of care, we must show your doctor did not uphold that duty. We do this by using the “reasonable person” standard. This method compares your doctor’s actions to those of a reasonable person. Here, the reasonable person is another doctor (with similar training in the same field) faced with the same scenario. We can bring in expert medical witnesses to play the role of the reasonable person.
Our expert witnesses review the evidence and assess your doctor’s behavior. Then, they testify as to whether a reasonable person would have offered a higher level of care. If they determine that they would have done so in that situation, we can show your doctor failed to uphold their duty.
Your Injury Resulted from Your Doctor’s Negligence
We next must draw a link between your doctor’s failure and your injuries. Once again, we rely on the testimony of expert witnesses and other medical professionals. We also lean on your medical records and statements from subsequent doctors you have visited. Our team will use this information to build a robust case arguing that your doctor’s lack of care directly caused your injuries.
Economic or Noneconomic Damages
The final component of our case is assessing the actual damages you incurred. We must show that these damages arose as a result of your injury. Your damages might be economic, noneconomic, or a combination of both.
Economic damages involve actual financial loss. These may include medical bills, lost wages, and reduced earning capacity.
Noneconomic damages are subjective but can be worth quite a lot. These damages can include pain and suffering, emotional anguish, and scarring.
The Hughes & Coleman® Injury Lawyers Team Fights for the Fair Compensation You Deserve
Your medical malpractice case could result in a big payout, depending on the severity of your injuries and your prognosis. A CBS News report found that between 2009 and 2014, the average medical malpractice payout was higher than $350,000. Unfortunately, the vast majority of medical malpractice cases decided by a jury verdict favor the doctor.
However, you have fighters on your side. The Hughes & Coleman Injury Lawyers team will build a case for you that establishes the four elements of medical malpractice. In doing so, we will pursue the full scope of damages you deserve, both economic and noneconomic.
- Your economic damages may include the following:
- Medical bills
- Lost wages
- Reduced earning capacity
- Prescription drugs
- Emergency transportation
- Any miscellaneous expenses, such as the cost of traveling to and from doctor’s appointments or the costs associated with renovating your home or vehicle due to a disability (e.g., widening doorways for a wheelchair, adding a wheelchair ramp or handbrake to your car)
Noneconomic damages, which refer to subjective values, may include the following:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional anguish
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Loss of consortium
- Scarring and disfigurement
Our legal team will fight to maximize your claim and recover every cent to which you are entitled.
If your loved one died as a result of their medical provider’s negligent behavior, we can file a wrongful death claim. This type of claim allows loved ones to sue for certain costs associated with the death. This could include damages such as funeral and burial costs, the loss of the deceased’s future income, as well as loss of companionship. If you believe your loved one’s death was due to medical negligence, call us to discuss your case.
Call 800-800-4600 Today to Schedule Your Free, No-Risk Case Evaluation
The Murfreesboro medical malpractice lawyers at Hughes & Coleman Injury Lawyers are waiting to hear from you. We will fight to hold your doctor accountable and help you recover the compensation you deserve. If you are worried about being able to afford legal help, know that we do not charge out of pocket. We work on contingency, meaning we do not receive compensation until you do. That means no risk to you.
To schedule your appointment today, call 800-800-4600.
