Medical Malpractice Lawsuits and How Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help

Personal injury lawyers are so important today because they handle so many types of cases
involving serious physical and emotional injury. These legal professionals often work as employment lawyers, handling
discrimination in the workplace and violations of safety labor laws, or as car accident attorneys,
standing up for the victims and victims’ families after a serious car crash has occurred.

But one of the most important issues that personal injury lawyers also handle — and one that seems to
get significantly less attention — is the problem of medical malpractice. Here are a few basics about what medical
malpractice lawsuits are, and why people turn to personal injury lawyers for help:

• Medical malpractice lawsuits occur when a medical professional (usually a doctor) causes, or fails to prevent,
  physical and/or psychological harm to a patient due to negligence. The difference between a failed treatment
  option and a medical malpractice case is
  whether or not the injury could have been prevented, had the doctor administered better care using the
  education, experience, and equipment/medications available.
• Medical malpractice cases don’t always result in death, although it’s estimated that about 80%
  of these cases do result in extremely serious and potentially fatal injuries, and anywhere from 44,000 to 98,000
  American patients die in hospitals each year because of medical errors that could have been prevented. When this
  occurs, the family of the victim can file a lawsuit against the doctor/medical practice, although it’s estimated
  that about seven out of eight families choose not to pursue legal action. The monetary compensation given in
  these cases usually isn’t the main concern; rather, many families simply wish to make sure that the faulty
  treatment doesn’t continue and harm other patients.
• The reason why families and victims of medical malpractice cases turn to personal injury lawyers for help is because the lawsuit itself tends
  to be very expensive, and the defendant can end up paying millions of dollars in one lawsuit for a small
  mistake. The legal process involved is very complicated and drawn-out.

Ultimately, if you believe that you or someone you know has been the victim of a medical mistake that could have been
prevented — no matter how serious the resulting injury may be — it’s certainly worth your time to consult a legal
expert for advice. Although the injury may be impossible to fix, and although monetary compensation can never really
cover the costs of emotional and psychological distress, filing a medical malpractice lawsuit will ensure that you have
the money you need for further (and better) treatments, and it could protect the lives of countless future patients as
well.

Gary Burger

Founder | Injury Attorney
Gary Burger has dedicated his career to standing up against bullies. The founder and principal attorney of Burger Law | St. Louis Personal Injury Lawyer has helped hundreds of Missouri and Illinois individuals and families recover th …
Years of experience: 30 years
Location: St. Louis, MO

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