Medical Malpractice and Errors

Medical errors are a leading cause of death in this country. In Pennsylvania, a serious event is an event, occurrence or situation involving the clinical healthcare of patient in a medical facility that results in death or compromises patient safety and results in an unanticipated injury requiring the delivery of additional health care services to the patient. A Pennsylvania health care worker who reasonably believes that a serious event or incident has occurred shall report the serious event or incident to the patient safety plan. A medical facility through a designee shall provide written notification to a patient or a patient’s family affected by a serious event.

Though required to notify patients or their family of serious events, very few medical facilities are actually doing this. Staff are pressured to not say anything or make any report. Policies are in place that such events are not noted in the medical record.

Medical errors are covered up by staff and doctors. Records are not complete or even changed to cover up mistakes. Staff are afraid to comment truthfully regarding a medical error. When a claim is asserted, the insurance company can get an expert to say anything to justify the outcome not being negligent, let alone causing any harm. Even if the doctor or nurse admits the mistake at the time, that comment will be denied in any future claim.

As such, medical error claims are extremely difficult to make. If you or a family member have suffered damages or received a letter from a medical facility about an unanticipated event, call our office at 814-454-1100 to discuss. We can help.

When you are sick or injured, you rely on the expertise of medical professionals and facilities to take that need for health care seriously and to treat you to the best of their ability. Not only is the health  of you or your loved one at stake, the results of an error can be catastrophic or lead to wrongful death. When the doctors, nurses, surgeons and care centers you have relied on broke that trust, you need legal counsel that you can rely on.

The Law Offices of L.C. TeWinkle offers you the trustworthy legal guidance you need during this difficult time. From her office in Erie, Pennsylvania, attorney Laurie C. TeWinkle has represented thousands of injury victims in Western New York and Western Pennsylvania and will fight for your rights both in or out of court. When you or a loved one has been harmed by a health care provider’s or facility’s negligence, she provides you with the empathetic legal counsel and strong defense you need to hold them responsible.

Cases of medical malpractice can be as unique as each patient. They can be caused by failure to diagnose a patient correctly, incorrect treatments, careless behavior and many other issues. These errors can include:

• Preventable infections
• Emergency room errors
• Prescription or anesthesia errors
• Birth injuries
• Failure to diagnose or misdiagnosis
• Surgical errors
• Nursing home errors

Because of the variety of forms that medical malpractice can take, you need an attorney who has the skill and experience to investigate your case fully and fight for your rights. The Law Offices of L.C. TeWinkle has represented thousands of clients in and out of court, fighting to get them the compensation they deserve for their pain and suffering, medical costs, lost wages and other challenges faced because of their injuries.

It is important, however, to keep in mind that your ability to bring a lawsuit against the medical professional or facility that have harmed you is limited by law. Time may be running out, and time can make it difficult to collect relevant evidence to build your case. Because of this, it is important to speak to an attorney as soon as possible to assess your case and hold medical practitioners responsible.

Work with an attorney who has a strong track record of creating successes for her clients. Contact the Law Offices of L.C. TeWinkle by email or by phone at 814-454-1100 to arrange for an initial consultation.