Kansas City Medical Malpractice Attorney

Think about how many medical professionals you see on a regular basis. We are willing to bet it is quite a few, considering that these professionals include much more than just doctors. Unfortunately, sometimes these medical professionals make mistakes that cause harm to patients.

At Peddicord & Townsend LLC, we are here when you need a Kansas City medical malpractice attorney. Our qualified and experienced team will work to secure the compensation you need for all of your incident-related expenses so you can focus on recovering.

The Stats May Surprise You

Here is a number that we want to sink in – 250,000.

That is the number of people that researchers at Johns Hopkins University say are killed each year due to medical mistakes. That makes medical mistakes the third leading cause of death in the country, behind only heart disease and cancer.

When we talk about medical mistakes, we need to point out that not every case involves a doctor. Consider the following:

Dentists
Optometrists
Pharmacists
Nurses
Physician’s assistants
Nurse’s aides
Paramedics
More

We encounter numerous medical professionals regularly and each of them has the ability to make a mistake. Today, we want to cover some of the main ways people are harmed due to the negligent or careless acts of medical professionals.

Infections – despite strict infection protocols in place at hospitals and doctor’s offices, we know that an overwhelming number of people acquire infections in the healthcare setting. This happens when medical staff neglects to check high-risk areas for infection and when proper disinfecting techniques are not followed.
Diagnosing Errors – the most important thing for a healthcare professional to get right is the diagnosis because it determines the course of treatment. Diagnostic mistakes affect nearly 12 million people a year and can lead to delayed treatment or no treatment at all for a patient.
Medication Mistakes – these mistakes occur when a patient receives the wrong medication, the wrong dosage of their medication, or fails to receive their medication at all. This can happen in the hospital setting as well as at the pharmacy level.
Surgical Mistakes – these errors can be terrifying and occur when a member of the surgical team is negligent. Major surgical mistakes include operating on the wrong body part, the wrong patient, surgical instruments being left inside of someone, anesthesiologist errors, and more.

Your Next Steps

Stop for a minute and understand that these cases are complex and you should not try to tackle them by yourself. At Peddicord & Townsend LLC, you can count on our knowledgeable and experienced team to be by your side when you need a Kansas City medical malpractice attorney.

When we take your case, we will conduct a thorough investigation into what happened so we can secure the compensation you deserve. This can include coverage for the following:

Coverage of all medical expenses related to the mistake, including future medical expenses
Recovery of lost income if you are unable to work
Pain and suffering/loss of enjoyment of life damages
Loss of consortium
Punitive damages against the responsible parties

Kansas City Medical Malpractice FAQ

While every medical procedure has risks, you should never have to worry about being harmed due to the negligence or carelessness of a medical professional. If you or a loved one have been harmed due to the negligence of a medical professional, the team at Peddicord & Townsend LLC is ready to help. Our Kansas City medical malpractice attorneys will investigate your case in order to secure the compensation you need.

What is medical malpractice?

Medical malpractice claims arise when the treatment of any type of healthcare professional does not meet the standard level of care and causes harm to the patient. For these cases to exist:

There must have been a professional relationship between the patient and the healthcare provider.
The healthcare provider must have acted beneath the standard level of care that another provider would have used in a similar situation.
The care provided (or not provided) must have harmed the patient in some way, causing damages.

In most cases, the medical mistake is not intentional, but this does not mean that the negligent party should not be held accountable for their actions.

How often does medical malpractice happen?

Johns Hopkins researchers have said that medical mistakes are the third leading cause of death in the US, behind heart disease and cancer. They say that these medical mistakes are responsible for approximately 250,000 deaths each year. However, that is only part of the problem, as millions more survive the mistakes and are left dealing with the consequences.

What are the most common medical mistakes?

Medical malpractice cases arise in various ways. Some of the most common cases we handle at Peddicord & Townsend LLC include:

Emergency room malpractice
Failure to diagnose cancer
Failure to diagnose a heart attack
Failure to diagnose a stroke
Birth injuries
Brain damage
Spinal cord injuries and paralysis
Surgical mistakes
Medication mistakes
Anesthesia errors
Healthcare-acquired infections

Who can be held responsible for medical malpractice?

Any healthcare professional can be held accountable for negligence and carelessness. This can include the following:

Doctors
Surgeons
Emergency room staff
Optometrists
Pharmacists
Dentists
Nurses
Nurse’s aides
Psychiatrists
Anesthesiologists
Hospitals
Nursing homes
Government institutions
Pharmaceutical companies
And more

What kind of compensation is there for medical malpractice cases?

If you or someone you love has been injured due to the negligent or careless actions of a medical professional, you may be entitled to significant compensation. At Peddicord & Townsend LLC, we will get to the bottom of what happened and work to secure the following:

Coverage for all medical expenses related to the error(s)
Compensation of lost income and benefits if you are unable to work
Loss of enjoyment of life and pain and suffering damages
Punitive damages against the healthcare provider/agency responsible

Are medical malpractice settlements taxable?

Settlements and jury verdicts in medical malpractice cases are not taxable. This money is yours. However, if punitive damages are awarded in the medical malpractice case, that amount is taxable.

When you need a Kansas City medical malpractice attorney, You can contact us for a free consultation by clicking here or calling us at 816-842-3200.