When you seek medical care, you trust healthcare professionals to provide safe and effective treatment. Unfortunately, medical errors can occur, leading to serious injuries or even death.
If you or a loved one has been hurt due to medical negligence in Lawrenceville, GA, you may be entitled to financial compensation. At Hammers Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers, we understand the profound impact medical malpractice can have on your life. Our dedicated team is here to guide you through the legal process and fight for the justice you deserve.
Navigating a medical malpractice claim can be complex, but we have 50 years of combined experience handling these cases. Schedule a free case review with a Lawrenceville medical malpractice lawyer today to discuss your options and get the legal guidance you need. Reach out at (678) 916-8584; we will be waiting for your call.
How Hammers Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help With A Medical Malpractice Case In Lawrenceville, GA
Medical malpractice cases are some of the most complex and emotionally draining types of personal injury cases. At Hammers Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers, we understand the toll that a medical mistake can have on you and your family. Our legal team is here to help you through every step of your case.
For over a decade, we have built a strong reputation for helping injury victims throughout Lawrenceville, Georgia. With more than 50 years of combined legal experience, our team has recovered tens of millions of dollars for clients harmed by negligence, including professional or medical malpractice.
When you work with a Lawrenceville medical malpractice attorney from our office, you’re not just getting legal help. You’re gaining a team that knows how to investigate complex cases, work with medical experts, and fight for every dollar you deserve.
Here’s what we can do to help you:
- Investigate your case and gather strong evidence of negligence
- Identify all parties who may share liability for your injury, such as doctors, hospitals, or clinics
- Work with medical experts to prove how your care fell below the standard
- Handle all paperwork, deadlines, and communications
- Calculate the full value of your damages, including future care and lost earnings
- Negotiate aggressively for a fair settlement
- File a lawsuit and go to court if the insurance company refuses to make a reasonable offer
- Provide compassionate, personalized legal advice at every step
If you believe you were harmed by a medical professional’s mistake, don’t wait to get help. Call us for a free consultation with a Lawrenceville medical malpractice lawyer. We will review your case and explain your legal options.
Understanding Medical Malpractice In Lawrenceville, GA
Not all errors by a doctor rise to the level of malpractice, and it requires more than just a poor outcome. Malpractice happens when a medical provider fails to provide the accepted standard of care, which causes harm to a patient. Malpractice can involve errors in a patient’s treatment, aftercare, diagnosis, or disease management.
Georgia was recently ranked fourth among states with the lowest medical malpractice rates. Between 2013 and 2022, there were more than 8,850 malpractice cases filed in the state with a malpractice rate of 7.5 per 100,000 people.
However, that doesn’t tell the whole story. The same data from the National Practitioner Data Bank found that Georgia has the most malpractice payouts, at 91.6 per 1,000 providers. The state also had above-average rates of disciplinary action at 297 per 1,000 providers.
Common Types of Medical Malpractice
Medical malpractice can take various forms, including:
- Delayed diagnosis or misdiagnosis. When diagnosis is delayed or missed, it may lead to incorrect care or a delay in treatment. This may worsen the patient’s condition and prognosis.
- Medication errors like administering or prescribing the wrong drug or dosage. This can result in ineffective care or serious adverse reactions.
- Surgical mistakes like leaving foreign objects in a patient or wrong-site surgery. Errors during surgery can cause severe complications.
- Birth injuries. A provider’s negligence during prenatal care or childbirth can lead to maternal injuries and birth injuries to children.
- Anesthesia errors. Examples include failure to monitor or incorrect anesthesia administration.
These errors can cause injuries like spinal cord injuries, brain injuries, or loss of a limb. Negligence may allow cancer to spread or cause dangerous complications.
Who Can Be Liable for Medical Malpractice in Lawrenceville?
In Georgia, anyone providing healthcare services can be held liable when their negligence injures a patient. Liability isn’t limited to individuals. Healthcare institutions and facilities can also be held liable. Healthcare providers can include any facility, person, or institution that is licensed, certified, registered, or chartered by the state.
Parties who may be liable in a medical malpractice case include:
- Medical doctors or physicians. Examples include general practitioners, surgeons, ophthalmologists, obstetricians, and other specialists
- Specialty providers such as optometrists, chiropractors, pharmacists, dentists, and midwives
- Nurses and nurse practitioners
- Anesthesiologists
- Radiation therapists
- Medical technicians or support staff
- Hospitals, hospital systems, clinics, urgent care centers, and surgical centers
- Pharmacies
- Lab facilities
- Nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and intermediate care facilities
- Emergency care providers, including EMTs
- Agents and independent contractors of healthcare providers
Under Georgia law, employees, independent contractors, and agents of healthcare providers or physicians can be liable for malpractice. This also includes officers, directors, partners, managers, owners, and affiliates of healthcare providers or physicians.
Most healthcare providers in Georgia can be liable for injuries caused by negligence. Special rules apply to emergency medical care providers. Emergency providers can only be held liable for gross negligence, not simple negligence.
What Is My Medical Malpractice Case Worth?
Every personal injury case is unique. To estimate what your case may be worth, your lawyer must assess dozens of unique factors. The value of a personal injury case may depend on factors like:
- The type and severity of injury
- The type of malpractice
- Whether the provider or facility engaged in fraud, intentional misconduct, or gross negligence
- How your injury affects your ability to return to your career
- The impact on your daily life, quality of life, and independence
- Your age, health, and lifestyle at the time of the injury
Between 2019 and 2024, the average payout for medical malpractice in Georgia was $518,453, higher than the $415,000 national average in 2023. However, most settlements are under $250,000.
Schedule a free case evaluation with our Lawrenceville medical malpractice lawyers. We can help you understand what you may be entitled to recover.
What Compensation Can I Recover For Medical Malpractice In Lawrenceville, GA?
Victims of malpractice in Georgia may recover compensatory damages. These damages compensate for the physical, psychological, and financial losses you have endured. These damages include economic damages and non-economic damages, such as:
- Medical bills and future medical expenses
- Lost income and diminished earning capacity
- Out-of-pocket costs that are necessary and reasonable, like transportation to medical appointments
- Physical pain and suffering
- Emotional and mental anguish
- Reduced enjoyment of life
- Disfigurement or permanent scarring
Unlike many states, Georgia does not impose a cap on compensatory damages in medical malpractice cases. This means you are entitled to pursue the full extent of your proven losses.
If your case goes to court, you may be eligible for punitive damages. However, these damages are incredibly rare. These damages are awarded to punish a defendant for their actions. Your case may qualify with evidence of fraud, malice, oppression, or conscious indifference to your health and safety.
What Is the Deadline to File a Medical Malpractice Lawsuit in Georgia?
In Georgia, the statute of limitations, or deadline, for filing your lawsuit is two years. This deadline begins when the error is discovered or should have been with reasonable diligence. The statute of repose gives you a hard deadline of five years from the date the malpractice occurred, no matter when it was found.
There are very limited exceptions. If a foreign object was left in the body, victims have one year from the date of its discovery, no matter how long ago it happened. If the victim was a child, unique deadlines apply. The two-year deadline cannot begin before a child’s fifth birthday, and the statute of repose cannot expire before a child’s tenth birthday.
These cases are complex and require extensive preparation and investigation. It’s important to take prompt action to ensure evidence is collected before it’s lost. This allows your lawyer to build the strongest case possible within the time limit.
Contact Our Lawrenceville Medical Malpractice Lawyers for a Free Consultation
If you have been hurt due to medical negligence in Lawrenceville, GA, you have rights. You may be entitled to money to cover your expenses and the physical and emotional impact of your injury.
Hammers Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers advocates for victims of medical malpractice. We have recovered tens of millions for our clients. We are prepared to give you the tireless legal representation you deserve.
Contact us today to schedule a free consultation with a Lawrenceville medical malpractice lawyer. Let us help you hold the negligent provider accountable and pursue a favorable outcome for your case.