Are medical malpractice attorneys a necessity? If you believe that you were harmed by a doctor’s negligence, the first thing you need to do is contact a Lakeland medical malpractice lawyer. This will help to ensure that your interests are protected, and the hospital or medical facility doesn’t take advantage of you. Usually, the injured party contacts an attorney about the matter, and they file a lawsuit against the hospital. However, when the injury obviously resulted from a case of malpractice, hospitals sometimes approach patients and offer them a quick settlement.
They do this in the hope that the patient will simply accept the money or negotiate without help from a lawyer. If the doctor made a glaring mistake that caused you harm, the facility may tell you it’s better not to hire a lawyer because you will have to pay them part of your settlement. While it’s true that an attorney comes at a cost, it also helps to ensure that you are fairly compensated for your losses.
Why Hiring Medical Malpractice Attorneys Make A Big Difference
There are several reasons why you should get a lawyer to work on your behalf. Firstly, you need to know how much your case is truly worth. The hospital won’t offer you full compensation otherwise. The facility will have a team of attorneys who have handled many medical malpractice cases before, and they know how to deal with settlement negotiations. They’ll pay you as little as you’ll accept. When you have an attorney, you’ll know what is considered a fair settlement based on the unique circumstances surrounding your case.
Another thing you need to be aware of is that there are likely to be a number of liens against your settlement award. Any private health insurance companies, Medicaid, Medicare, and health maintenance organizations that paid for your medical care will need to be reimbursed. This is usually the policy if an insurer paid for treatment that was caused by a negligent healthcare provider and the victims later receives a settlement.
If you fail to pay back these organizations, you could be charged with a crime. Your lawyer will help you to determine how much of your settlement you’ll have to payout. This will help you to decide how much you’re willing to accept. Medical malpractice attorneys can also help to reduce or even eliminate the liens on your settlement so you can keep more of your money. By hiring a lawyer, you’ll have a better idea of how much you will actually get when you settle your case.
Sometimes settlement negotiations result in fair compensation. However, they often don’t and sometimes, talks reach a stalemate. When this happens, the only option is to take the matter to court. You will definitely need medical malpractice attorneys to represent you then. The doctor and hospital will hire high-profile lawyers who specialize in medical malpractice and you don’t want to face them alone. They will know that you’re not a lawyer and they will do everything they can to get the better of you.
Even before the actual circumstances of your case are explored, they may raise legal or procedural technicalities in an effort to get the case thrown out and you won’t know how to respond. If the case is thrown out, you won’t be able to get any compensation, no matter how serious your injuries are. You may even end up having to pay attorney’s fees or other costs for the other side. This is not an ideal situation to be in if you’ve been harmed by a medical practitioner.
Not even medical malpractice attorneys are advised to represent themselves in court so there’s no reason why you should attempt it. If the doctor who was supposed to heal you harmed you instead, you deserve to have your case thoroughly investigated. You deserve to get full compensation for all your economic and non-economic losses.
Give Yourself a Fighting Chance by Contacting Burnetti, P.A.Medical malpractice cases can be complex. Whether you’ve already been offered a quick settlement or you want to know if you really have a case, our medical malpractice attorneys in Lakeland can help you. We’ll investigate and provide you with our expert opinion. All you need to do is call and schedule a consultation with one of our attorneys. Your initial case review is free, and you don’t pay any legal fees until you recover your damages. Whether we get you compensation through a settlement or a trial, you can be sure that we will do everything we can to get you a favorable outcome.
