Individuals and families put a tremendous amount of faith and trust into medical professionals. Unfortunately, doctors and other health care workers do not always live up to the significant responsibility that comes with the profession. When they fall short, it can have devastating consequences. When they fall short, Searcy Denney and our West Palm Beach medical malpractice attorney team stands up.

At Searcy Denney, we help people and families injured by medical malpractice get the compensation that they deserve. We know that there is no amount of money that will allow you to go back in time and stop the injuries from happening in the first place. We fight tirelessly to get the people that we represent fair compensation to help them move on and ease the financial burden that can come with medical errors and negligence.

Hospitals and large medical care companies are equipped with large teams of expensive lawyers. It is vital that you have a seasoned attorney with a strong track record in your corner.

A West Palm Beach medical malpractice attorney at Searcy Denney will identify those responsible for malpractice and ensure that they are held fully accountable. We combine decades of experience in these cases and have a record of success for the people that we represent.

Medical Malpractice vs. Medical Risks

All medical treatments and procedures come with a certain risk that they will not effectively address the condition or problem. When medical professionals do everything in their power and simply are unable to reach a successful result, that is not medical malpractice. In this instance, a West Palm Beach medical malpractice attorney likely won’t be able to assist. Instead, malpractice happens when doctors and others cut corners, fail to properly diagnose and treat patients, or make mistakes in treatment and procedures. This can cause serious and life-threatening injuries that require more treatment and pile up medical expenses.

Types of Medical Malpractice Cases a West Palm Beach Medical Malpractice Attorney Can Help With

Medical malpractice generally occurs when healthcare professionals do not live up to a certain standard, based on their training and experience. It can happen in a number of different ways and result in an array of injuries and illnesses, including by making existing conditions worse.

An experienced West Palm Beach medical malpractice attorney will tell you that some types of accidents and mistakes are more common than others in medical settings. Here are some of the malpractice cases that we often see:

• • Pregnancy and birth injuries: Although doctors and hospitals handle new births every day, the process can be complicated when medical professionals make mistakes. Malpractice risks the health of both the baby and his or her mother, potentially causing injuries that can change an entire family’s lives forever.
  • Surgical mistakes: People go “under the knife” for a spectrum of injuries and conditions, including many situations in which surgery is elective. It is important to understand, however, that every surgical procedure comes with at least some risk. Misdiagnoses and errors during the process can significantly increase that risk.
  • Anesthesia errors: Anesthesia is a key part of many surgical procedures, which prevents pain and makes procedures more efficient. The administration of anesthesia is a complicated process that requires particular skill and experience. Unfortunately, anesthesiologists and other medical professionals sometimes make mistakes, including in the amount of anesthesia administered and the required monitoring of a patient.
  • Medication mistakes: Drugs play an important role in managing pain and treating all kinds of illnesses and medical conditions. It is crucial that doctors prescribing medication and pharmacists filling those prescriptions do so responsibly. Whether it is overprescribing a drug, prescribing the wrong drug, overlooking possible effects of other medication that a patient is already taking, or simply filling a prescription with the wrong medication, these errors can have fatal consequences.

• Misdiagnosis: When a doctor fails to properly diagnose a condition, this delays the proper treatment. It can also lead to costly, painful, and time-consuming surgeries and other treatment that is not necessary and may lead to death if the error is not fixed.

• • Radiology errors: MRIs, CT scans, and ultrasounds are often used to properly diagnose and treat people for a wide range of conditions. Mistakes can lead to misdiagnosis and delayed or incorrect treatment.
  • Blood transfusion mishaps: Transfusions can help save people’s lives after car and other accidents, but they must be performed according to rigid standards to ensure that the procedure is not making things worse. 
  • Negligent early discharge: Although patients are often happy to hear that they are being discharged from a hospital or medical facility, allowing people to walk out too soon can make things worse by exacerbating an injury or illness.
• Nursing home neglect: Seniors and others in assisted care facilities have the right to proper treatment and day-to-day living assistance. Unfortunately, some nursing home residents are neglected by doctors and staff, which leads to accidents and injuries.

What these types of incidents all have in common is that they are largely preventable. Hospitals and other medical care providers have a responsibility to ensure that their doctors and staff are properly trained, given the tools, they need to succeed, and adequately supervised. 

Sadly, when our attorneys investigate medical malpractice cases we often find that there were plenty of signs of trouble well in advance. That may be a record of similar mistakes, a history of complaints, or other signs that medical staff is not being properly trained and supervised.

A West Palm Beach medical malpractice lawyer at Searcy Denney will work aggressively to ensure that those responsible for your injuries are made fully accountable.

Child Injuries Caused by Medical Malpractice

Infants and children are at a particular risk when it comes to medical malpractice. Whether it is a mistake during birth or the failure to correctly identify and treat conditions, these errors can change the course of a child’s life.

Some common forms of pediatric medical malpractice include:

• Misdiagnosis
• Failure to timely treat conditions
• Failure to detect neurological issues
• Failure to detect allergic reactions to medication
• Failure to warn of treatment risks
• Prescription errors in administration and dosage
• Surgical errors
• Birth injuries

To compound these errors, hospitals and medical staff often do not give parents the full picture of what happened and why. That can make it incredibly difficult to ensure that your child is getting the proper care, let alone to seek compensation from those responsible for malpractice.

The good news is that you are not alone. A West Palm Beach medical malpractice attorney at Searcy Denney will help you get the truth and seek justice. Our track record of success includes a $23.5 million jury verdict in a case involving failure to test for genetic disorders during pregnancy and a $6.75 million settlement over hospital negligence that caused a child to be disabled.

Medical Malpractice Statute of Limitations in Florida

The aftermath of an injury or illness caused by medical malpractice can be a painful and confusing time. In addition to seeking new treatment for any injuries or conditions, it is also vital that you seek the assistance of a West Palm Beach medical malpractice attorney.

Florida law imposes a two-year statute of limitations in medical malpractice cases. That means that a person seeking compensation for malpractice must file a lawsuit within two years of the date on which he or she – or reasonably should have known – that the injury or illness occurred or was made worse and that malpractice was the cause. 

The deadline often comes with hotly debated disputes over when the clock started running in any particular case. In some situations, a person may not know that a particular injury was the result of medical malpractice until long after it happens. 

State law also includes a separate, four-year statute of repose. This shields doctor and medical professionals in Florida from being sued for malpractice more than four years after the injury happens. This deadline does not apply, however, to situations in which the person being sued covered up the malpractice by lying, misrepresenting, or otherwise engaging in fraud.

A West Palm Beach medical malpractice lawyer at our firm can help you determine whether an injury or illness has been caused by malpractice and ensure that you file the lawsuit within the statute of limitations period. We can also explore exceptions to the general filing deadlines by showing that you were not immediately aware of the malpractice and/or the medical professionals at fault tried to cover it up. 

Schedule a Free Consultation with a West Palm Beach Medical Malpractice Attorney Today

If you or a loved one has been injured as a result of a medical error or other malpractice, a West Palm Beach medical malpractice lawyer at Searcy Denney can help you get compensation for your injuries. 

Our personal injury attorneys help injured people and their families understand their legal rights and explore their options for seeking compensation. We are tireless advocates with an established record of success in the courtroom and at the negotiating table.

Our offices are conveniently located in West Palm Beach, Tallahassee, and Tampa. Call us at 800-780-8607 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation with a West Palm Beach medical malpractice attorney today.