Pittsburgh Medical Malpractice Lawyers
Skilled representation when healthcare negligence causes harm or death
Pittsburgh does have some of the best hospitals, medical facilities, and doctors in Pennsylvania and in the country. Still, even the best healthcare providers make mistakes. The less skilled doctors and providers just make mistakes more regularly. When medical providers fail to provide care that meets acceptable standards, they can cause medical complications, irreversible disorders, and even fatalities. They deserve to be held accountable for their medical malpractice.
Doctors, hospitals, pharmacists, and other healthcare providers will fight to contest complaints of medical malpractice. Their reputation is on the line along with their finances. At Carmody and Ging, Injury & Accident Lawyers, we are ready from day one to aggressively fight for your interests. Our lawyers work with seasoned medical professionals who understand the appropriate standards of care for doctors and other healthcare professionals. We anticipate and work to counter the defense lawyers’ arguments.
Some of our medical malpractice results include a $4.4 million birth trauma medical malpractice settlement, a $2.5 million breast cancer medical malpractice jury verdict, and a $1 million colon cancer medical malpractice settlement.
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What would you like to know?
- What is necessary to file a medical malpractice in Pittsburgh?
- What types of medical malpractice cases do you handle?
- What injuries are caused by medical malpractice?
- Who is liable for medical malpractice in Pittsburgh?
- How much is my Pittsburgh medical malpractice claim worth?
- How much time do I have to file a medical malpractice claim in Pittsburgh?
- Do you have a medical malpractice attorney near me?
What is necessary to file a medical malpractice in Pittsburgh?
At Carmody and Ging, we are skilled at showing Pittsburgh medical malpractice victims meet the core requirements for filing and proving their claims. These requirements are:
- The existence of a healthcare provider-patient relationship. We work to show that a hospital, doctor, or another healthcare provider agreed to treat you. Normally, this requirement can be shown through the medical appointment records, consent forms, and the providing of medical services in a medical setting.
- The healthcare provider failed to provide medical care that met acceptable medical standards. No, doctors aren’t gods. They do, however, need to make diagnostic decisions, provide treatments, and perform surgeries according to the standards that have been established for their type of medical practice. These standards include proper education and experience criteria, following medical board guidelines, and other professional standards.
- The failure to provide quality medical care caused your injuries or a fatality. There must be a causal relationship between the medical malpractice and the harm that is suffered. Generally, doctors are not liable for medical disorders or complications they couldn’t control. Our personal injury and wrongful death lawyers are skilled at showing this causal relationship.
- That injury or fatality led to damages. “Damages” is a legal way to say “losses.” Those losses can be financial, such as medical expenses or missed wages, but they can also include things like your pain and suffering. We work hard to show the true extent of your injuries and losses so that we can obtain a just award for you.
What types of medical malpractice cases do you handle?
Our Pittsburgh trial attorneys have the experience, tenacity, and resources to handle medical malpractice claims. We understand the unique challenges these cases present. Our lawyers take negligence cases involving:
- Surgical errors. Surgeons and hospitals should be prepared not just to perform surgeries when everything goes right. They need to prepare for the inevitable complications and emergencies that occur for the type of surgery they are performing. Common mistakes during surgery include misuse of anesthesia, operating on the wrong person or wrong body part, leaving instruments in a patient, not treating infections, and failing to monitor the patient.
- Diagnostic errors. ER doctors, general physicians, specialists, and other physicians can be held liable if they fail to order the correct tests, fail to read the test results accurately, fail to make a correct diagnosis, or fail to make a timely diagnosis. An incorrect or untimely diagnosis may prevent the correct treatments from being administered and may cause irreversible harm.
- ER mistakes. Emergency room doctors should treat emergency patients properly. They need to understand the principles of triage. ER doctors need to make a correct diagnosis and provide the correct emergency treatment. These physicians need to know when to admit a patient. They also need to know when to consult with specialists on the staff of their hospital.
- Medication mistakes. Physicians should provide the correct medications in the proper dosages for your medical problems. Doctors need to understand what drugs you are taking so complications don’t arise. Your doctors and pharmacists should explain the risks of taking certain medications. Nursing homes and nurses may be liable if they fail to provide the drugs to a patient at the proper times.
- Birth injuries. At Carmody and Ging, our Pittsburgh medical malpractice lawyers represent parents and newborns when delivery doctors and other physicians make mistakes during the pregnancy, during the delivery, and after your child is born. For example, a lack of oxygen to the brain can be fatal or cause catastrophic injuries. Birth injuries include cerebral palsy, Erb’s palsy, and brachial plexus injuries.
- Nursing home negligence. One other type of medical malpractice claims we handle is nursing home abuse and neglect. A nursing home may be liable if it fails to consult with an experienced gerontologist or other skilled senior care physicians. The staff should ensure that the residents receive the medical care and medications they need to survive.
Healthcare providers are required to explain the risks of each treatment and drug they prescribe and obtain written consent from the patient before providing the treatment or prescribing the medication.
What injuries are caused by medical malpractice?
Our Pittsburgh medical malpractice lawyers first focus on proving that your doctors and other healthcare providers were negligent. We review your medical condition with experienced physicians who can work to improve your health as much as possible – and who can provide the information needed to show the true extent of your injuries and expected recovery. Medical malpractice injuries include a wide range of problems including:
- Wrongful amputation of limbs and body parts
- Undiagnosed or untreated infections, leading to tissue necrosis or sepsis
- Scarring or disfigurement
- Permanent nerve damage
- Mobility issues
- Brain damage
- Paralysis
- Brain death, coma, or vegetative states
- Organ damage
- Burn injuries
Often, patients require additional surgeries or corrective care to fix what went wrong in the first procedure, and those additional procedures or care may not be covered. If an act of medical negligence leads to brain trauma, the patient may be unable to communicate, work, or take care of themselves. Patients may also experience emotional trauma due to the stress of new medical treatments, new doctor visits, new surgeries, and worsening medical disorders. If a child, spouse, or parent dies due to medical malpractice, we file a wrongful death and survival action on behalf of the family members.
Who is liable for medical malpractice in Pittsburgh?
Our Pittsburgh medical malpractice lawyers understand who is responsible for your injuries or the death of your loved one. We file medical malpractice claims against:
- Hospitals
- Physicians including ER doctors, surgeons, specialists, obstetricians, and other physicians
- Anesthesiologists
- Nurses
- Pharmacists
- Midwives
- Emergency transport personnel
- Medical laboratories
- Medical technicians
How much is my Pittsburgh medical malpractice claim worth?
At Carmody and Ging, our Pittsburgh medical malpractice lawyers work to prove your healthcare providers committed medical malpractice by reviewing what happened with experienced doctors who can draft reports and testify in court. We also review your medical condition with our network of doctors and your own competent doctors, so we can understand the full scope of your injuries, the care you will need, and how the injuries are changing your life. This, along with our years of experience building cases on behalf of negligence victims, will bolster your claim for damage such as:
- Your medical bills. These include surgeries, treatments, and medications to treat the original disorder and to correct the damage caused by your doctor’s malpractice.
- Your income loss. This includes wage loss, lost business profits, and lost benefits for as long as you can’t work.
- Your pain and suffering. This includes pain and suffering for your original disorder and any pain and suffering due to the medical malpractice (both physical and emotional).
- Any scarring or disfigurement. If you sustain scarring from radiation burns or are disfigured because an untreated or misdiagnosed condition led to an amputation, we can seek additional damages for you.
- Loss of consortium. This is the inability of you and your spouse to enjoy marital intimacy.
In some cases, we may seek punitive damages. If a loved one died, we will seek funeral and burial expenses as well.
How much time do I have to file a medical malpractice claim in Pittsburgh?
Generally, the time limit for filing a personal injury or wrongful death claim in Pennsylvania is two years. Some exceptions may apply.
It’s best to contact us as soon as possible for several reasons. We need to investigate what caused your injuries while everyone’s memories are fresh. You need help now to treat the damage caused by the medical malpractice. Incompetent doctors shouldn’t be able to treat other patients without a proper review.
Do you have a medical malpractice attorney near me?
Carmody and Ging is located at 801 Vinial Street in Pittsburgh, on the 3rd floor of the Deutschtown Center building. We’re on the North Shore, right across the street from Penn Brewery, and there’s plenty of parking onsite. Don’t worry. If you can’t drive to our office, there are other options:
- You can take the bus to the Troy Hill Road stop. We’re around the corner.
- We do conduct video conferences.
- We do see patients who are ill or immobile at a hospital or rehab facility.
We understand how difficult it is to think the doctors you trusted failed you. We will review your medical situation with independent physicians. We will fight to obtain all the compensation you deserve.
Contact our Pittsburgh medical malpractice lawyers now
If your health became worse after seeing your healthcare provider or a loved one died after seeking medical help, Carmody and Ging is here to help. We’re a local firm with deep ties to our community, with expert resources including physicians experienced in medical malpractice cases. Please call us at 412.281.2929 or fill out our contact form to schedule a free consultation. We offer compassionate counsel in Pittsburgh and throughout Western PA.
