Medical Malpractice Lawyers Joplin, Missouri

Medical Malpractice Lawyers in Joplin, Missouri. If you or someone you care about were injured because a doctor did not offer you the proper care that you were owed, call Burger Law right away at (314) 500-HURT or complete our online form. Our medical malpractice lawyers always get the best possible results for our clients in Joplin and throughout Missouri.

You do not have to pay because a physician, hospital or other medical professional in Joplin, MO did not respect your health. When we seek medical treatment, we do so under the assumption that we are placing our health — and occasionally even our lives — in dependable hands. When doctors are negligent , leaving you with even worse sickness or harm as a consequence, believe in the experienced and knowledgeable Joplin, MO medical malpractice lawyers of Burger Law to deliver you justice and the best possible financial recovery. Not only are we sympathetic and committed to the injured in Joplin, MO, but we are more aggressive than the majority of law firms in filing lawsuits and not waiting around for the at-fault doctor to take responsibility. Our medical malpractice lawyers want healthcare professionals and their insurance company to realize that we mean business and will accept nothing but a full financial recovery. Negligent health care can have traumatic, permanent repercussions, and in the most tragic circumstances can even result in wrongful death.

In our three decades of experience fighting back against bullies and getting the best possible results for the injured, we have secured our clients over $175 million in verdicts and settlements. If you or a loved one has been harmed by a negligent doctor in Joplin, MO, call Burger Law's medical malpractice lawyers immediately at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online.

See how much compensation you may be able to collect by filling out our free personal injury calculator.



Medical Malpractice Statistics | Joplin, MO Medical Malpractice Lawyers

A study by John Hopkins Medicine found that one in ten of all deaths in the United States are due to medical error. Just one percent of doctors account for nearly a third of medical malpractice claims. Too often, negligent doctors are allowed to continue practicing without any penalty. But when the state of Missouri does not want to hold negligent doctors responsible, you can be sure the medical malpractice lawyers of Burger Law will.

In Missouri, less than 33 percent of medical malpractice lawsuits end with the plaintiff receiving damages. Still, between 2009 and 2018 a full $631.11 million was paid out in medical malpractice claims. You need devoted and veteran Missouri medical malpractice lawyers to make sure you are awarded the full financial recovery you are owed.

Who Your Medical Malpractice Lawyers in Joplin, MO Can Hold Accountable in Your Claim

We often automatically think of doctors when we think of medical malpractice, there are many parties that may be culpable of medical negligence in your case. The state of Missouri defines a “healthcare provider” as a

Malpractice claims are typically complex; it may not be clear straight away who was to blame, or many parties might be at fault. The trusted and skilled Joplin, MO medical malpractice lawyers at Burger Law will conduct a complete investigation into your case and ensure that each party that caused you harm is held responsible for their negligent behavior.

Examples of Medical Malpractice in Joplin, MO

Medical negligence takes place when a healthcare professional breaks 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 Joplin, MO medical malpractice lawyers have seen that occur in myriad ways:

Failure to Diagnose or Misdiagnosis

This is the most common reason for medical malpractice cases that take place in outpatient treatment. More or Less 12 million people in United States are misdiagnosed annually. Catching medical issues early on is crucial in realizing the best possible outcome for a patient. A misdiagnosis, or failing to diagnose, can cause a delay to the care you seriously require to get better, or can lead to incorrect treatment that aggravates your illness or injury. Three-quarters of misdiagnoses are failing to diagnose some of the most life-threatening health conditions, for example:

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

Surgical Errors

Surgical mistakes are the most common medical malpractice case when it comes to inpatient treatment. There are a minimum of 4,000 surgical errors nationwide each year, and frighteningly, the most common example is operating on an erroneous organ. Other instances can include accidental incisions, anesthesia errors, foreign objects like instruments remaining inside the patient, infections or failure to address complications emerge after the surgery.

Medication Errors

An estimated 7,000 to 9,000 people in the United States die annually owing to medication errors. Examples can include not knowing a patient's allergies, giving an incorrect medication, giving the wrong dosage or failing to identify interactions with other drugs.

Another instance of medication errors is overprescribing medications. Studies have found that overprescribing is a substantial factor in the opioid crisis in the U.S.

Unnecessary Care

Unnecessary medical care costs approximately $210 billion every year. John Hopkins Medicine surveyed 2,106 physicians and found that physicians themselves are of the opinion that 15 to 30 percent of medical care is unnecessary, including:

• Over a fifth of prescription medications
• 24.9 percent of medical tests
• More than a tenth of procedures
• 20.6 percent of medical care in general

Unnecessary treatment can lead to surgical errors, medication errors and overprescribed medication.

Birth Injuries

On average, 6 to 8 out of 1,000 children born in the United States sustain a serious birth injury Every year. Not properly monitoring the baby throughout birth, not appropriately implementing birthing techniques or not identifying a health issue with the mother during pregnancy are all instances of medical negligence that can lead to long-term or permanent consequences.

Nursing Home Negligence

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

Failure to Inform or Lack of Consent

Everyone has an innate right to make choices for ourselves. When a healthcare professional fails to inform you of risks, or neglects to acquire your consent before a procedure, it is an appalling breach of your rights.

At Burger Law, our Joplin, MO medical malpractice lawyers have experience with every type of negligence lawsuit. We know the catastrophic consequences a healthcare professional's or institution's neglect can cause, and the exasperation and sorrow that comes with finding out that your trust was betrayed. We hold at-fault doctors accountable and get our Joplin, MO clients the maximum compensation they are owed and that they require to move on and fully recover. Our medical malpractice lawyers also have exhaustive medical comprehension and will be able to discover precisely how your doctor violated the standard of care. Contact our medical malpractice lawyers in Joplin, MO immediately at (314) 500-HURT.

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Medical Malpractice Cases Won

Browse the links below to see some of the recent victories Burger Law's medical malpractice lawyers have secured for our clients in Joplin, 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

How Medical Malpractice Lawyers in Missouri Can Help

Medical malpractice claims are infamously tough to win. That is why you need stellar medical malpractice lawyers that have the experience, knowledge, persistence and skills to secure you the full financial recovery you know you deserve. When you hire us, our Missouri medical malpractice lawyers:

• Get to work on your claim right away
• Connect you with trusted and accomplished doctors to finally get you the medical care you are owed
• Conduct a comprehensive investigation, including procuring medical records, qualified testimony and taking depositions of the defendant
• Work alongside our network of Joplin, MO medical experts to corroborate standard of care in your case, demonstrate how the care you received was below standard and prove negligence
• Offer empathetic, informed and trustworthy legal advice
• Keep you informed through the duration of your case 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 your energy on recovering
• Converse with with economic experts to determine exactly how much your claim is worth
• Negotiate with the insurance company to deliver you the best possible settlement offer
• Take your case to court when the insurance company does not want to be fair in mediation

At Burger Law, we know that most residents of Joplin, MO does not have the resources and legal proficiency to fight the expensive defense teams of doctors and large corporations. For that reason, our Joplin, MO medical malpractice lawyers operate on a contingency fee basis. You do not owe us any fees until we get you the maximum financial recovery you deserve. We have pledged our careers to ensuring that the injured and vulnerable in Joplin, MO have access to the highest quality legal representation, one that compares with and eclipses that of large corporations. Our medical malpractice lawyers always work to remove every hurdle standing between you and justice.

Basic Requirements for a Medical Malpractice Claim

Not every error carried out by medical professional amounts to malpractice. In order to be awarded a financial recovery for improper treatment in Joplin, MO, you must demonstrate four things. Your medical malpractice lawyers from Burger Law will help you show that:

1. A doctor-patient relationship was determined. This means proof that you hired the doctor and the doctor agreed to be hired. This is generally very easy to prove.
2. The doctor or healthcare provider was violated the standard of care. You need to be able to prove that a capable healthcare professional in the same practice area, in the same geographical location treating the same medical issue, would not have committed the same error.
3. The doctor’s negligence directly caused the injury. This can frequently be hard to prove, as patients being treated by a doctor are typically 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 earning capacity.

In Missouri, you will also be required to give an “Affidavit of Qualified Healthcare Worker,” within 90 days of filing your suit, following 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 similar circumstances, and b) the failure contributed to the alleged harm. Our medical malpractice lawyers have a massive network of experienced and professional medical connections in Joplin and throughout Missouri who will help corroborate your claim.

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

The compensation your medical malpractice lawyers will help you receive usually falls into two categories: economic damages, which are meant to compensate you for the monetary loss you have undergone because of a physician's negligence; and noneconomic damages, which seek to compensate for the less tangible ways in which your injuries have impacted your life:

• Economic damages include:
  • Lost wages
  • Lost earning potential if the medical negligence led to an impairment that does not allow you to conduct the tasks of your job anymore
  • Medical bills, including:
    • Subsequent doctors appointments
    • Further procedures
    • Physical rehabilitation
    • Medication expenses
    • In-home medical care
    • Assistive devices such as wheelchairs or required upgrades 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 nickel that you deserve. We know that you can never truly heal from some injuries, but we fight to ensure that you get justice.

Malpractice cases differ 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 put into law Senate Bill 239 in an effort to reduce insurance premiums for medical negligence. The bill set "damage caps" on how much you can collect in a medical malpractice case 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? | Joplin, MO Medical Malpractice Lawyers

The damage caps for catastrophic injuries are higher because they affect your ability to perform basic tasks and to find enjoyment in life. Your Burger Law malpractice lawyers will help you ascertain if your injury can be viewed as catastrophic. Senate Bill 239 says 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"

What is the Statute of Limitations in a Medical Malpractice Claim in Joplin, MO?

If you or a family member were injured by a medical professional's substandard care in Joplin, MO, it is key to get in touch with medical malpractice lawyers straight away. While most personal injury claims have a time limit of five years in Missouri, medical malpractice suits only have a time limit of two years, under 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 important 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 love was under 18 on the date of the negligent, you have until their 20th birthday.

There is no time to delay. Get in touch with the Burger Law Joplin, MO medical malpractice lawyers now. We get to work on your case at once and do not rest until you collect maximum compensation . Waiting could bring difficulties to your suit and could make it tough for even the best medical malpractice lawyers to prove the full extent of your damages. Call Burger Law's Joplin, MO medical malpractice lawyers immediately at (314) 500-HURT.

No one deserves to have their life halted because a physician was negligent in their care. Burger Law's Joplin, MO medical malpractice lawyers comprise the highest- and most-reviewed law firm in Joplin, MO. We fight hard for our clients and work around the clock to get them the great results they need to be made whole again. Our medical malpractice lawyers have spent the last 30 years fighting back against bullies and standing up for the "little guy." We will not let doctors, large hospitals manipulate your vulnerability. Call Burger Law's Joplin, MO medical malpractice lawyers today at (314) 500-HURT or fill out our online form to start on your road to recovery.