Whether you’re going to your family doctor for a regular checkup or seeking emergency treatment at a hospital, you have a right to expect that your doctors will do everything they can to give you the best care possible. Unfortunately, not every medical professional meets this standard of care with every patient, and negligence in medical settings can often have especially serious and even life-threatening consequences.
If you have been hurt by a reckless or careless doctor, you may have a uniquely tough road ahead of you if you want to seek civil compensation for your injuries, which makes it even more important to have help from a seasoned personal injury attorney. From start to finish of the legal process, your Eatontown medical malpractice lawyer will make sure you understand all your options and help you build the strongest case possible for fair financial recovery.
Rules for Filing a Medical Malpractice Claim
Because doctors are highly valued professionals, New Jersey law generally prohibits people from filing a personal injury lawsuit against one unless they have a strong case against them. More specifically, the law requires you to get an affidavit of merit from an equally qualified medical expert. This is a statement made under oath by that expert that they believe you were hurt through malpractice bad enough to justify a civil claim.
You also generally need to start the legal process no later than two years after initially sustaining harm from a doctor’s misconduct. If it took you a while to discover that you were hurt through malpractice, you may be able to extend that filing deadline a bit. There are also slightly different deadlines for unique types of medical errors as well as medical mistakes that result in a patient’s premature death, as an Eatontown medical malpractice attorney can further explain during an initial meeting.
What Damages Can You Seek Recovery for?
If you can prove that you were injured because a doctor seriously violated the standard of care they owed you, you can demand money from that doctor for every short-term and long-term loss their misconduct will cause you. This can include damages like:
- Physical pain and discomfort
- Emotional anguish and trauma
- Loss of life’s pleasures
- Costs of additional medical care made necessary to treat injuries or illnesses caused by malpractice
- Lost work wages, benefits, and future working capacity
- Out-of-pocket expenses for things like wheelchairs, home and vehicle modifications, and childcare
Fortunately, New Jersey differs from some other states in that it doesn’t place caps on how much money a single person can demand for damages caused by medical malpractice. Still, assistance from a respected lawyer can be key to maximizing the value of your medical negligence claim in Eatontown.
Get in Touch with an Eatontown Medical Malpractice Attorney Today
Even by the usual standards of injury litigation, medical malpractice lawsuits are especially complicated and hard to get a favorable final result from. Fortunately, you have assistance available from experienced legal professionals who are well-known for winning cases much like yours on behalf of people much like you.
An Eatontown medical malpractice lawyer can help you obtain every cent of compensation you deserve for the harm your doctors should never have allowed you to suffer. Call Ostroff Godshall Injury and Accident Lawyers today to discuss your options.