Columbia Medical Malpractice Claims Attorneys
We put our lives in the hands of doctors and other medical professionals on a regular basis. When medical professionals or facilities perform below the standard of care, through their action or inaction, and cause harm, they can be held responsible for medical malpractice. Medical mistakes are frighteningly common and a leading cause of death in the U.S. Yet, the large majority of medical malpractice victims never file a claim. If you believe that your injuries or the death of a loved one was the result of medical negligence and the negligence occurred in Missouri, please talk to our Columbia medical malpractice claims attorneys right away.
Medical Malpractice Time Limits
The statute of limitations is your time limit for filing a lawsuit. In Missouri, the statute of limitations for medical malpractice is two years from the date of injury. However, there are some important exceptions.
The discovery rule applies in two types of harm. If a foreign object was left inside of your body after surgery, you have two years after you discover or should have discovered the error. If your doctor or other health care provider failed to give you test results or failed to explain the results, and that caused you harm, you have two years from the date that you discovered or should have discovered that failure.
Minor children who are harmed by medical negligence have until their 20th birthday or 10 years after the date of injury, whichever is later.
Examples of Medical Negligence
The possible types of medical negligence are almost endless. Some of the more common types of medical malpractice that cause injury or death include:
- Failure to diagnose cancer
- Failure to diagnose heart attack, stroke, or another medical event
- Other diagnostic errors
- Obstetric malpractice leading to birth injury or injury to the mother
- Emergency room malpractice, including patient dumping
- Surgical error
- Anesthesia error
- Medication error
- Unsanitary conditions leading to nosocomial infections
- Needle stick
- Failure to obtain informed consent
- Failure to advise a patient of diagnosis or treatment options
- Unnecessary procedure, medication, or treatment
- Wrong treatment for the condition
- Continuing an ineffective treatment
- Patient abandonment
A poor outcome, and even death, does not always mean that medical malpractice occurred, but doctors and other health care professionals are not always forthcoming about their mistakes and may even try to hide negligence and errors. If you suspect that you were the victim of medical malpractice our medical malpractice attorneys can help you determine if you have a case.
To learn more about your rights and potential compensation, please talk to the Columbia medical malpractice claims attorneys of Yonke Law, L.L.C. at (816) 221-6400 today or contact us online to schedule your free consultation.
