Compensation for Grand Rapids Medical Malpractice Claims: What to Expect
Filing a claim for medical malpractice can prove extremely complicated. Not only must you clearly establish the care provider’s negligence, but you may also need to find an expert witness who will testify on your behalf. Working with a lawyer can help 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.
- What injuries did you suffer because of your care provider’s negligence?
- What additional expenses did you face because of your injuries?
- What are the terms of the insurance policy?
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.
Compensation for Any Further Injuries and Medical Expenses
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 went along with it.
For example, if you suffered a never event in which the surgeon operated on the wrong body part, you may have permanent, lifelong disabilities related to that event. On the other hand, if you underwent treatment for a condition you did not have, you may notice that it causes significant side effects.
Talk to your lawyer about the medical costs you may have sustained because of the act of medical malpractice against you.
- Did you go through unnecessary medical treatments?
- Did you have to go through additional treatments because of the act of malpractice?
- Do you have long-term health limitations that will stick with you because of the care provider’s negligent actions?
You may have the right to include compensation for all those elements as part of a medical malpractice claim.
Compensation for Wage Losses
Sometimes, medical malpractice can lead to substantial income losses since it may keep you out of work for some time. You may even permanently lose the ability to work in your field due to the act of negligence. Talk to your attorney about those income losses and their impact on you.
Compensation for Pain and Suffering
In addition to your financial losses, your medical malpractice claim may include compensation for the pain you faced due to your injuries and the emotional losses that went along with it. Medical malpractice can include substantial losses, including depression, anxiety, PTSD, or loss of enjoyment of life. Talk to your lawyer about how medical malpractice impacted you personally.
At Gruel Mills Nims & Pylman PLLC, we help our clients look into all the losses and emotional challenges they suffered because of medical malpractice so we can help maximize the results of their claims.
Medical Malpractice in Grand Rapids
According to Michigan law, you must file a medical malpractice claim before the statute of limitations runs out. In Michigan, that means you must file a claim within two years of the medical malpractice event itself or within two years of uncovering the medical malpractice.
For example, if you suffer a misdiagnosis but do not discover it until three years later, you might have an additional two years to file a medical malpractice claim. However, the statute of limitations does leave you with no more than six years from the date of the incident to file a claim.
Grand Rapids aims to provide a safe location for residents of all ages and has a large aging population. As a result, Grand Rapids may have a greater overall number of medical care providers since its residents may have greater medical needs. Furthermore, the increased need for medical care may mean a higher rate of potential medical malpractice within the population.
At Gruel Mills Nims & Pylman PLLC, we have extensive experience working with Grand Rapids residents on their medical malpractice claims. We know the local court system, local hospitals from Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital to Trinity Health Saint Mary’s, and how to negotiate with medical malpractice insurance providers to help our clients maximize the results of their claims.
Types of Medical Malpractice in Grand Rapids
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 must deviate from the standard of care that another provider would have offered under the same circumstances.
Types of medical malpractice may vary depending on the care provided and the patient’s needs.
- Misdiagnosis: Diagnosing the patient with the wrong condition, even when clearly presented with obvious signs and symptoms of a specific ailment.
- Failure to diagnose: Not diagnosing the patient at all, despite clear evidence of a specific condition.
- Failure to treat: Not providing the treatment associated with a specific ailment, despite diagnosing the condition.
- Prescription drug errors: Prescribing or giving a patient the wrong dose of a medication or a medication that has a dangerous interaction for the patient, despite knowing about the potential for that reaction.
- Birth injuries: Injuries that occur during the birthing process.
- Never events: Dangerous errors, such as surgical errors, should never occur in a medical care setting.
- Failure to inform: Failure to fully inform a patient about the risks and hazards of a certain procedure.
Dealing with the aftermath of medical malpractice can prove incredibly difficult, especially if you try to handle it on your own. At Gruel Mills Nims & Pylman PLLC, we help identify the care the patient should have received and how the care provider erred in adhering to that standard of treatment.
Fighting for Compensation Following Medical Malpractice in Grand Rapids
To file a medical malpractice claim in Grand Rapids, 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 Nims & Pylman PLLC, we help our clients navigate the challenges the insurance company may throw in 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 help offer support as you negotiate and sometimes fight for the compensation you may deserve.
What to Do After Medical Malpractice in Grand Rapids?
Following medical malpractice in Grand Rapids, you may need to protect yourself.
- Seek a second opinion or diagnosis for any condition you think your care provider may have diagnosed unfairly.
- Keep up with medical records related to your case. Your own copies can clearly establish medical malpractice.
- Contact a lawyer as soon as possible.
At Gruel Mills Nims & Pylman PLLC, we can help you from the earliest days of your medical malpractice claim. The sooner you contact us, the sooner we can start working on your behalf.
FAQs
Who bears liability for medical malpractice in Grand Rapids: the doctor or the hospital?
The party that bears liability for medical malpractice may depend on where the malpractice occurred. If malpractice occurs in a hospital, you will need to pursue compensation from the hospital if the doctor works as a hospital employee. On the other hand, if the doctor has permission to practice at the hospital but does not work for the hospital directly, you may need to seek compensation through the doctor’s medical malpractice insurance.
How do I know if I have the right to file a medical malpractice claim in Grand Rapids?
To file a medical malpractice claim, you will need to establish that:
- A doctor/patient relationship existed between you and the care provider that committed the act of malpractice. If the relationship does not exist, you may not have the right to file a claim.
- The doctor or care provider breached the duty of care owed to you as a patient through an act of negligence.
- You suffered injuries due to that breach of care. If you did not suffer injury, damages, or complications because of the breach of care, you might not have the right to file a claim.
Working with a lawyer can make it easier to put together the elements of medical malpractice and clearly show that you suffered at the hands of your care provider. At Gruel Mills Nims & Pylman PLLC, we have extensive experience helping our clients clearly lay out the suffering they may have experienced.
Will I have to go to court over my medical malpractice claim?
Most of the time, medical malpractice claims settle out of court. At Gruel Mills Nims & Pylman PLLC, 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 court to fight for full compensation.
Contact Gruel Mills Nims & Pylman PLLC for Help with Your Grand Rapids Medical Malpractice Claim Today
Did you suffer medical malpractice at the hands of a Grand Rapids medical care provider? Gruel Mills Nims & Pylman PLLC can help you pursue the compensation you deserve.
Contact Gruel Mills Nims & Pylman PLLC at (616) 235-5500 for your free consultation.
Gruel Mills Nims & Pylman PLLC – Grand Rapids Office
Campau Square Plaza Building
99 Monroe Ave NW #800
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
Phone: (616) 235-5500
Client Testimonial
“Gruel Mills Nims & Pylman PLLC is made up of wonderful, honest attorneys who truly care about their clients. I have many friends who have worked with William Azkoul and Thomas Behm, and have been extremely pleased with the amount of care and professionalism they exhibited. Would highly recommend!” – Christina D.
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Our Results
Over the years, we have achieved significant results for our clients, including the following:
Medical malpractice –birth trauma –$15 million
Medical malpractice – wrongful death – $5.1 million
Medical malpractice – wrongful death – $5 million
Medical malpractice – birth trauma injuries – $3.5million
Medical malpractice –wrongful death – $3.5 million
