Grand Rapids has a wealth of high quality hospitals, including Corewell (formerly Spectrum Health) Blodgett Hospital and Butterworth Hospital, University of Michigan Health-West (formerly Metro) Hospital, and Trinity Health Saint Mary’s Mercy Hospital. There are also innumerable doctor’s offices, pharmacies, rehabilitation facilities, and other health care providers throughout West Michigan. Patients rightfully expect to find a high standard of medical care and comprehensive, ongoing support from medical care providers at all of these facilities. Reach out to a Grand Rapids medical malpractice lawyer.
Unfortunately, medical care providers make mistakes. When these mistakes are the result of carelessness or failing to follow the standard of care that they are taught to provide, it is malpractice. Such a mistake could leave you suffering from severe or permanent injuries or complications.
Did you suffer malpractice at the hands of a Grand Rapids care provider? Call Gruel Mills firm’s Medical Malpractice Lawyer in Grand Rapids today to learn more about your next steps and your right to compensation.
Founded in 1985, Gruel Mills brings extensive experience to the table with every case. The firm was recognized in the 2021 Best Lawyers awards, the Best Law Firms of U.S. News in 2019, and the Martindale-Hubbell Peer Rated for Ethical Standards and Legal Ability Award in 2021.
Our team of attorneys has extensive experience dealing with complex, high-profile cases, putting us in the ideal position to help our clients maximize the results they can recover after a serious medical malpractice incident.
At Gruel Mills, we start with a free consultation to review our clients’ claims and specific needs. We ensure our clients have a strong understanding of their rights and an overview of the next steps they may need to take to recover compensation following a serious medical malpractice incident.
Our office is conveniently located in downtown Grand Rapids, near Rosa Parks Circle. We have a dedicated parking lot to make it simple to get to your consultation. If needed, we also offer virtual consultations or visits to your home or the hospital.
At Gruel Mills, we aim to help our clients maximize the compensation they can recover following the negligence of physicians and healthcare providers. While our past results cannot guarantee results for future clients, they demonstrate our skill and dedication to our clients, as well as the good reputation we have built in the legal community.
Claims for medical malpractice are extremely complicated. Not only must you clearly establish the care provider’s negligence, but you also need to find an expert witness who will testify on your behalf. Working with a lawyer can make it easier to clearly establish who committed the act of medical malpractice that led to your injuries, what injuries you sustained, and what compensation you may deserve.
Several elements may impact the compensation you can recover as part of a medical malpractice claim. The most important elements are what injuries you suffered because of your care provider’s negligence and what additional medical treatment and expenses you will need because of your injuries.
A lawyer can help you understand your full right to compensation, including the care provider’s medical malpractice insurance policy and how it may impact you.
Frequently, medical malpractice will lead to substantially increased medical costs. Your actual cost increases may depend on the type of medical malpractice you suffered and what limitations you experience because of your injuries.
Most medical malpractice injuries require additional medical care that you would not have needed but for the malpractice. But if you sustain a permanent injury, you may need medical care, adaptive equipment, alternative transportation, and other costly accommodations for the rest of your life.
If you have been subjected to medical malpractice, talk to your lawyer about the medical costs you may have sustained and will sustain in the future:
In addition to your financial losses, your medical malpractice claim may include compensation for the pain and suffering you faced due to your injuries and the emotional losses that went along with it. Life-changing injuries can lead to depression, anxiety, PTSD, or loss of enjoyment of life. Talk to your lawyer about how the medical malpractice impacted you personally.
At Gruel Mills, we help our clients look into all the losses and emotional challenges they suffered because of medical malpractice Unfortunately, Michigan law limits the amount of damages medical malpractice victims can recover for their pain and suffering. However, we know how to help maximize the results of these claims despite the damage limits.
Under Michigan law, you must file a medical malpractice claim before the statute of limitations runs out. A statute of limitations is the deadline for when you must file a claim. In Michigan, you must file a claim within two years of the medical malpractice event itself. There is a limited exception that applies if you did not discover the malpractice until a while later, but no claims can be brought beyond six years after the malpractice.
For example, if you suffer a misdiagnosis but do not discover it until three years later, you might have an additional six months to file a medical malpractice claim after you realize the doctor’s mistake. However, the clock starts to run as soon as you suspect or should know that you have a medical malpractice claim.
Although two years may seem like a long time, it is important to contact a lawyer as soon as possible after you experience medical malpractice. Your lawyer must obtain all of your medical records, hire an expert, and prepare a notice to the medical providers before a lawsuit can be filed; all of this has to happen before the statute of limitations runs out.
At Gruel Mills, we have extensive experience working on medical malpractice claims, particularly in Grand Rapids and West Michigan. We know the local court system, we know many of the local medical providers, and we know how to negotiate with medical malpractice insurance providers to help our clients maximize the results of their claims.
Medical malpractice occurs any time a physician or care provider fails to offer the high standard of care expected in a medical situation. Generally, the care provider commits malpractice if he or she deviates from the standard of care that any other reasonable provider would have offered under the same circumstances.
Types of medical malpractice may vary depending on the care provided and the patient’s needs. Common types of malpractice include:
To file a medical malpractice claim, you will usually find yourself dealing with the care provider or hospital’s medical malpractice insurance. The insurance company may not make it easy to get the compensation you deserve. You may find yourself fighting to prove that medical malpractice took place and that you deserved a higher overall standard of care than you received.
At Gruel Mills, we help our clients navigate any challenges the insurance company may throw their way. We start with a thorough case evaluation, including working with medical specialists who can help identify the standard of care you should have received and how the medical care provider deviated from it. Then, we offer you support as we negotiate and fight for the compensation you deserve.
Your notice of intent to file a claim must include:
The affidavit must include:
You need clear, credible evidence to show how your provider failed to meet accepted medical standards and prove fault in a medical malpractice case. This evidence often includes detailed medical records, test results, and treatment notes filled with technical terms and procedures that most people cannot interpret without help. These materials can be complex, and understanding them requires professional medical knowledge.
That’s why expert testimony plays such an important role in every malpractice claim. Medical experts can explain what a provider should have done, how mistakes occurred, and how those errors caused harm. Their insight is essential when it comes to explaining intricate medical concepts to judges, juries, and opposing attorneys in plain language.
An experienced malpractice attorney will know how to find the right experts for your specific type of case. These lawyers have networks of trusted medical professionals through which they can locate specialists who understand the exact procedures and standards involved. These experts carefully review medical records, treatment notes, and test results to identify where things went wrong. Your attorney can find and work with the right experts to prepare clear explanations that support your claim.
The party that bears liability for medical malpractice depends on many factors. In many cases, the doctor and the hospital will share responsibility for your injuries. A hospital is always liable for the negligence of its own employees, and it may be liable even for doctors who have permission to practice at the hospital but are not direct employees. If a health care provider you already know simply treats you at the hospital, you may need to seek compensation only through the doctor’s own medical malpractice insurance.
To file a medical malpractice claim, you will need to establish that:
Sometimes, a doctor will make an obvious mistake but you will not suffer any significant injury, damages, or complications because of the breach of care. In that case, it may not be worth filing a medical malpractice claim; these lawsuits are very expensive and stressful, and you may not end up with any monetary recovery. Your lawyer can help you determine if your claim is worth pursuing.
If the three elements above are met, working with a lawyer can make it easier to prove medical malpractice and clearly show that you suffered at the hands of your care provider. At Gruel Mills, we have extensive experience helping our clients establish these claims and get a fair recovery.
Most of the time, medical malpractice claims settle before trial. At Gruel Mills, we help our clients pursue the best possible results for their medical malpractice claims, whether that means reaching an agreement with the insurance company out of court or taking a claim to trial to fight for full compensation.
Did you suffer medical malpractice at the hands of a Grand Rapids or West Michigan medical care provider? Gruel Mills can help you pursue the compensation you deserve. Reach out to a Grand Rapids personal injury lawyer.
Contact Gruel Mills for your free consultation.
Comerica Building
99 Monroe Ave NW #800
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
Phone: 616-235-5500
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