 | Q: | What is “medical malpractice”? | |
| A: | “Malpractice” means negligence, or lack of ordinary care. Specifically, medical malpractice refers to the negligence of a doctor acting in his or her professional capacity. It means that the doctor failed to use the same knowledge, skill and care normally used by others in his or her profession. As in any other case based on negligence, a plaintiff must prove that the defendant was negligent and that the harm the plaintiff suffered was caused by the defendant’s negligence. | |
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| Q: | What is “informed consent”? | |
| A: | In a situation that is not an emergency, a doctor cannot give medication to or operate on a mentally competent adult without first explaining the risks and obtaining the patient’s consent. Patients have the right to make informed decisions about their medical care and to refuse care. When a doctor performs surgery or administers medication without getting the patient’s informed consent, the patient may be able to bring a lawsuit. | |
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| Q: | I was misdiagnosed. Do I have a medical malpractice case? | |
| A: | A misdiagnosis can be the basis of a malpractice lawsuit. It depends on the nature of the misdiagnosis and the harm suffered as a result of the misdiagnosis. You should contact Angino & Rovner to discuss the specifics of your case. | |
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| Q: | I had complications or an infection following surgery, or my surgery did not relieve my symptoms. Do I have a medical malpractice case? | |
| A: | As with a misdiagnosis, a poor surgical result or complications following surgery can be the basis for a malpractice lawsuit. It depends on the cause of the poor result or the complications, and on the amount of harm you suffered as a result of the surgery. You should contact Angino & Rovner to discuss the specifics of your case. | |
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| Q: | How much does it cost to bring a medical malpractice lawsuit? | |
| A: | Initially it costs you nothing. Although medical malpractice lawsuits are some of the most expensive lawsuits to bring, Angino & Rovner advances all the costs of investigating and bringing a malpractice lawsuit, and we only charge an attorney fee and seek reimbursement of costs if we are successful in getting money for you. | |
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| Q: | What is a statute of limitations? | |
| A: | A statute of limitations is a law that limits the amount of time you have to bring a lawsuit for an injury. Statutes of limitations vary in length for different types of lawsuits. For most injuries, the statute of limitations in Pennsylvania is two years. However, there is no benefit to waiting before speaking with an attorney. If you think you have been injured, you should call Angino & Rovner immediately to avoid losing valuable rights. | |
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| Q: | When should I contact an attorney? | |
| A: | You should contact Angino & Rovner as soon as you find out that you have been injured. There is no benefit to waiting. The call to Angino & Rovner is free. There is no reason to risk losing valuable rights by waiting before you call. | |
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| Q: | Isn’t there malpractice lawsuit abuse in Pennsylvania? | |
| A: | No. While we cannot speak for all other law firms, every case that we take is legitimate. Because we advance all costs and attorney’s fees and do not get paid unless we are successful in getting money for you, we would go out of business if we brought frivolous lawsuits. You can be assured that if Angino & Rovner takes your case and brings a lawsuit on your behalf, we will continue to represent you and fight for your rights until we receive a settlement or take your case to trial. | |
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| Q: | I got a letter from the hospital stating that a “serious event” occurred. Am I the victim of malpractice? | |
| A: | Hospitals are required by law to send out “serious event” letters when unexpected errors or events happen during hospital treatment. Receiving a “serious event” letter does not necessarily mean that you were the victim of malpractice, however, you should still call Angino & Rovner immediately to discuss the specifics of your particular case and to avoid losing valuable rights. | |
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| Q: | What are the steps of a malpractice lawsuit, and what will I have to do? | |
| A: | Before we bring any lawsuit for malpractice, we will review all of your medical records and will have them reviewed by doctors in the same specialties as your treating doctors. If the reviewing doctors determine that your doctors were negligent, we will prepare a Complaint. This is the formal document filed with the Court that states your claims and begins your lawsuit.
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