When a driver hurts someone by running a stop sign, he or she is negligent and held responsible. When a doctor or hospital runs a medical stop sign, they are responsible also. “Medical malpractice” is just another form of negligence.

The medical field has many wonderful and caring providers. Nevertheless, the sad reality is that medical errors that cause harm occur much too often. An Institute of Medicine study concluded that up to 98,000 Americans die every year in hospitals due to errors. More recent studies suggest that the figure is even worse. Other studies have found shockingly high mistreatment rates – over 30% – for frequently encountered medical conditions. Disturbingly, analysis of the National Practitioner Data Bank, which tracks individual physicians’ history of malpractice payouts, shows that in state after state – including Maryland – typically 5% of doctors cause over 50% of malpractice payouts. Worse, it is extraordinarily rare for these “frequent fliers” to have their licenses suspended or revoked.

Fetal Monitoring

Patients pay tremendous prices for medical errors. Some examples from our practice:   

 + Babies born severely brain damaged because signs of fetal distress were ignored
+ Children dying in the womb because high risk pregnancies were not identified and followed aggressively
+ Prime working age persons disabled for life from heart attacks after being told by an emergency department that their chest pain was muscle strain or indigestion
+ Men and women suffering massive strokes and left dependent on their spouses and children to spoon feed them because a doctor would not aggressively work them up for TIAs (transient ischemic attacks) or excruciating headaches

Stroke

Medical malpractice cases are very hard fought. The patient’s case has to be proven through expert witnesses – doctors – explaining what the stop signs are and how the defendant ran them. Experts also are needed to prove how the defendant’s negligence caused the patient’s harm and what that harm is.

The patient needs an attorney who is able and willing to make a major commitment. The attorney must be well versed in medical issues and willing to do the hard work of enlisting the support of qualified, persuasive physicians and other experts. Medical malpractice cases require tremendous funding to pay for experts, depositions, medical drawings.

At Lambros & Lambros, we have made that commitment time and time again. Mitch Lambros will be with you from beginning to end. If you are concerned that you or a loved one has been harmed by medical malpractice, please contact us so that we can help.

Heart Attack