Medical Malpractice Lawyers Cole County, Missouri

Medical Malpractice Lawyers in Cole County, Missouri. If you or someone you love were hurt because a physician did not give you the proper treatment that you were owed, call Burger Law today at (314) 500-HURT or fill out our online form. Our medical malpractice lawyers always get great results for the vulnerable in Cole County and throughout Missouri.

You should not have to pay because a doctor, hospital or other healthcare professional in Cole County, MO did not respect your health. When we seek medical care, we do so under the assumption that we are placing our well-being — and at times even our lives — in proficient hands. When doctors are negligent and you end up with even worse sickness or injuries as a consequence, trust in the seasoned and savvy Cole County, MO medical malpractice lawyers of Burger Law to win you justice and full financial compensation. Not only are we sympathetic and committed to our Cole County, MO clients, but we are more aggressive than the majority of law firms in filing lawsuits and not waiting around for the liable doctor to take responsibility. Our medical malpractice lawyers want medical professionals and their insurance company to realize that we are driven and will not take anything but full compensation. Negligent health care can have devastating, permanent consequences, and in the worst cases can even cause wrongful death.

In our 30 years of experience pushing back against bullies and getting great results for the injured, we have secured our clients over $175 million in verdicts and settlements. If you or a family member has been injured by a thoughtless medical professional in Cole County, MO, call Burger Law's medical malpractice lawyers right away at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online.

See how much your claim may be worth by using our free personal injury calculator.



Medical Malpractice Statistics | Cole County, MO Medical Malpractice Lawyers

Research by John Hopkins Medicine found that 10 percent of all fatalities nationwide are because of medical error. Just one percent of physicians account for almost a third of medical malpractice lawsuits. Too often, negligent doctors are allowed to continue practicing without any punishment. But when the state of Missouri does not want to hold liable doctors accountable, you can be sure the medical malpractice lawyers of Burger Law will.

In Missouri, less than a third of medical malpractice lawsuits end with the plaintiff collecting damages. Still, between 2009 and 2018 a full $631.11 million was recovered in medical malpractice claims. You need devoted and accomplished Missouri medical malpractice lawyers to make certain you collect the maximum financial recovery you are owed.

Who Your Medical Malpractice Lawyers in Cole County, MO Can Hold Responsible in Your Case

We frequently automatically think of doctors when we think of medical malpractice, there are many people or institutions that may be liable for medical negligence in your claim. The state of Missouri defines a “healthcare provider” as a

Malpractice claims are typically complex; it may not be clear right away who was accountable, or many parties might be accountable. The trusted and skilled Cole County, MO medical malpractice lawyers at Burger Law will conduct a complete investigation into your claim and ensure that each party that caused you harm is held responsible for their reckless behavior.

Examples of Medical Malpractice in Cole County, MO

Medical negligence happens when a healthcare professional violates the standard of care, which is how a capable doctor in the same field and same geographic location would have care for your health problems. Our Cole County, MO medical malpractice lawyers have seen that take place in myriad ways:

Failure to Diagnose or Misdiagnosis

This is the most common reason for medical malpractice claims that occur in outpatient care. About 12 million Americans are misdiagnosed each year. Diagnosing medical problems early on is key in attaining the best possible outcome for a patient. A misdiagnosis, or missing a diagnosis, can lead to a delay to the care you desperately need to become healthier, or can result in unsuitable treatment that worsens your illness or injury. Three-quarters of misdiagnoses are failing to diagnose some of the most deadly health conditions, for example:

• 37.8 percent for cancer
• 22.8 percent for cardiac events
• 13.5 percent for infections

Surgical Errors

Surgical mistakes are the most common medical malpractice claim when it comes to in-hospital care. There are a minimum of 4,000 surgical mistakes in the U.S. annually, and frighteningly, the most common example is operating on an erroneous organ. Other examples can include accidental incisions, anesthesia mistakes, foreign objects like sponges remaining inside the patient, infections or failure to address issues emerge after the procedure.

Medication Errors

An estimated 7,000 to 9,000 people nationwide die every year owing to mistakes when administering medication. Examples can include not knowing a patient's allergies, giving an incorrect medication, giving an incorrect dosage or failing to recognize interactions with other drugs.

Medication errors can also include overprescribing medications. Studies have found that overprescribing is a main factor in the opioid crisis in the United States.

Unnecessary Care

Unnecessary medical care costs roughly $210 billion every year. John Hopkins Medicine surveyed 2,106 physicians and learned that doctors themselves are under the impression that 15 to 30 percent of medical care is not needed, including:

• Over one-fifth of prescription medications
• 24.9 percent of medical tests
• More than one-tenth of procedures
• 20.6 percent of all medical treatment

Unnecessary care can cause surgical errors, medication errors and overprescribed medication.

Birth Injuries

About 6 to 8 out of a thousand children born in the United States suffer a serious birth injury Annually. Not properly observing the child throughout delivery, not correctly using birthing procedures or not diagnosing a health condition of the mother during pregnancy are all instances of medical malpractice that can cause long-term or lifelong consequences.

Nursing Home Neglect and Abuse

The 1987 Nursing Home Reform Act established a Bill of Rights for nursing home residents meant to protect and guarantee their physical, emotional and social health. When a nursing home or its staff does not respect those rights and the person you love is harmed as a result, the medical malpractice lawyers of Burger Law will hold them responsible.

Failure to Inform or Lack of Consent

Everyone has a basic right to make choices for ourselves. When a physician fails to inform you of risks, or neglects to obtain your consent before treatment, it is a serious infringement on your rights.

At Burger Law, our Cole County, MO medical malpractice lawyers have seen it all. We know the destructive repercussions a healthcare professional's or institution's negligence can cause, and the rage and grief that comes with learning that your trust was betrayed. We hold negligent doctors to blame and win our Cole County, MO clients the great financial recovery they are owed and that they require to move on and be made whole again. Our medical malpractice lawyers also have considerable medical knowledge and will be able to pinpoint how your doctor violated the standard of care. Reach out to our medical malpractice lawyers in Cole County, MO straight away at (314) 500-HURT.

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Medical Malpractice Cases Won

Take a look at the following links to see some of the latest victories Burger Law's medical malpractice lawyers have secured for our clients in Cole County, MO:

• $1 Million Settlement for Family of a Man With Sepsis Infection
• $1 Million Settlement for Permanent Brain Injury
• $900,000 Settlement for Unnecessary Surgery Leading to Blindness in One Eye
• $200,000 Settlement for Misdiagnosis
• $175,000 Verdict for Surgical Error During a Cesarean Section
• Confidential Settlement for Failing to Diagnose Cancer and Lost Chance of Survival
• Confidential Settlement for Nursing Home Neglect
• Confidential Settlement for Wrongful Death Due to Fentanyl

What Medical Malpractice Lawyers in Missouri Can Do For You

Medical malpractice claims are notoriously hard to win. That is why you need exceptional medical malpractice lawyers that have the experience, knowledge, tenacity and prowess to secure you the best possible compensation you know you deserve. When you hire us, our Missouri medical malpractice lawyers:

• Get started on your claim right away
• Connect you with trusted and competent physicians to finally get you the medical attention you deserve
• Carry out a complete investigation, including procuring medical records, expert testimony and taking depositions of the defendant
• Work with our team of Cole County, MO medical experts to establish standard of care in your case, show how the care you were given was not up to the standard and prove negligence
• Offer thoughtful, sound and direct legal guidance
• Keep you informed throughout your suit so you are aware of what is going on and have all the information you need to make the best decision for your family
• Manage every legal aspect of your case so you can focus on healing
• Converse with with economic experts to ascertain precisely how much your claim is worth
• Negotiate with the insurance adjusters to deliver you a full settlement offer
• Take your case in front of a judge and jury when the insurance company does not want to be fair in mediation

At Burger Law, we know that most residents of Cole County, MO does not have access to the resources and legal knowledge to counter the expensive defense teams of doctors and large hospitals. For that reason, our Cole County, MO medical malpractice lawyers work on a contingency fee basis. You do not pay us anything until we get you the full compensation you are owed. We have devoted our lives to making certain that the injured and vulnerable in Cole County, MO have access to the highest quality legal representation, one that rivals and surpasses that of large hospitals. Our medical malpractice lawyers always work to remove every barrier standing between you and justice.

What You Need in a Medical Malpractice Claim

Not every mistake carried out by healthcare institution or physician constitutes malpractice. In order to get a financial recovery for negligent care in Cole County, MO, you must prove four things. Your medical malpractice lawyers from Burger Law will help you demonstrate that:

1. A doctor-patient relationship was determined. This amounts to proof that you hired the doctor and the doctor agreed to be hired. This is commonly not hard to prove.
2. The doctor or healthcare provider was negligent. You need to be able to show that a capable healthcare professional in the same practice area, in the same geographical location caring for the same medical problem, would not have made the same error.
3. The doctor’s breach of the standard of care directly caused you harm. This can frequently be tough to prove, as patients under a doctor’s care are generally already sick or injured.
4. That the injury caused the patient harm that they should be compensated for. Instances can include physical pain, a disability, additional medical costs, or loss of future earning potential.

In Missouri, you will also be required to offer an “Affidavit of Qualified Healthcare Worker,” within 90 days of filing your suit, pursuant to Missouri Revised Statute §538.225. This is a written opinion from a legally qualified healthcare provider that states that a) the doctor did not give you the care that a careful healthcare provider would have under the same circumstances, and b) the negligence contributed to the alleged damages. Our medical malpractice lawyers have a wealth of accomplished and professional medical connections in Cole County and throughout Missouri who will help authenticate your claim.

What Compensation Can I Get? | Cole County, MO Medical Malpractice Lawyers

The compensation your medical malpractice lawyers will help you collect generally falls into two categories: economic damages, which seek to compensate you for the monetary damages you have undergone owing to a doctor's negligence; and noneconomic damages, which try to compensate for the less tangible ways in which your injuries have affected your life:

• Economic damages include:
  • Lost wages
  • Lost earning potential if the medical negligence caused an impairment that does not permit you to perform the tasks of your job anymore
  • Medical expenses, such as:
    • Subsequent doctors appointments
    • Surgeries
    • Physical rehabilitation
    • Medication expenses
    • In-home medical care
    • Assistive devices such as crutches or needed improvements to your home or vehicle
    • Future estimated medical expenses, such as further physical therapy or medication, or replacement costs for assistive devices
• Noneconomic damages, which the state of Missouri defines as:
  • Pain and suffering
  • Mental anguish
  • Inconvenience
  • Physical impairment
  • Disfigurement
  • Loss of capacity to enjoy life
  • Loss of consortium

Burger Law's medical malpractice lawyers work tirelessly until you get every penny that you are owed. We know that some injuries are impossible to really heal from, but we fight to make certain that your pain and suffering is alleviated.

Malpractice cases vary from other personal injuries in Missouri in a couple of crucial details. Your medical malpractice lawyers at Burger Law will help you maneuver damage caps and the statute of limitations in Missouri:

Damage Caps in Missouri Medical Malpractice Cases

In 2015, Missouri state legislature passed Senate Bill 239 in an effort to lessen insurance premiums for doctor's and hospitals. The bill set "damage caps" on the amount you can recover in a medical malpractice claim in noneconomic damages. As of 2022, those caps are $450,098 for a "non-catastrophic injury" and $787,671 for a "catastrophic injury."

What is Catastrophic Injury? | Cole County, MO Medical Malpractice Lawyers

The limits for catastrophic injuries are higher because they affect your ability to perform daily tasks and to find enjoyment in life. Your Burger Law malpractice lawyers will help you establish if your injury can be viewed as catastrophic. Senate Bill 239 states that catastrophic injuries are:

• Quadriplegia, or loss of function in all four limbs
• Paraplegia, or loss of function in your legs and lower body
• Loss of two or more limbs
• A brain injury resulting in permanent cognitive impairment that results in permanent inability to:
• Make independent decisions
• Perform basic daily tasks such as eating, dressing, bathing, toileting, transferring and walking
• Irreversible failure of one or more major organ systems
• Legal blindness in your "best eye"

How Long Do I Have to File a Medical Malpractice Claim in Cole County, MO?

If you or someone you care about were injured by a physician's negligence in Cole County, MO, it is vital to contact medical malpractice lawyers at once. While most personal injury cases have a time limit of five years in Missouri, medical malpractice claims only have a time limit of two years, according to Missouri Revised Statute §516.105. That means that once you have been harmed your medical malpractice lawyers only have two years to investigate your case and file your claim. There are three notable exceptions:

1. If a foreign object was left inside of you after surgery, you have two years from the date you discovered the object, or should have discovered the object.
2. If a doctor failed to inform you of test results, you have two years from the date you discovered or should have discovered that you were not informed. This does not include failure to inform of negligent or incorrect test results.
3. If you or someone you care about was a minor on the date of the malpractice, you have until their 20th birthday.

Do not delay. Call the Burger Law Cole County, MO medical malpractice lawyers straight away. We get to work on your case at once and do not rest until you have been fully compensated . Waiting could create difficulties for your suit and could make it hard for even the best medical malpractice lawyers to demonstrate the full consequences of your damages. Call Burger Law's Cole County, MO medical malpractice lawyers mow at (314) 500-HURT.

No one deserves to have their life disrupted because a healthcare professional was negligent in their care. Burger Law's Cole County, MO medical malpractice lawyers comprise the highest- and most-reviewed law firm in Cole County, MO. We fight hard for our clients and work around the clock to get them the great results they need to recover. Our medical malpractice lawyers have spent the last three decades fighting back against bullies and standing up for the "little guy." We will not let medical professionals, large hospitals abuse your vulnerability. Call Burger Law's Cole County, MO medical malpractice lawyers today at (314) 500-HURT or fill out our online form to start on your road to recovery.