Tampa Medical Malpractice Lawyers

Are you looking for a medical malpractice lawyer?

When medical professionals fail to meet acceptable standards of care, their patients may suffer severe harm as a result. Medical negligence may cause patients to require corrective surgery, suffer permanent disfigurement or lose motor skills and abilities.

At Chris Ligori & Associates, we have seen firsthand the intense emotional toll these cases bring. If you have been a victim of medical negligence, we are here to help you navigate the legal landscape. Contacting a lawyer to manage your case is a crucial step forward to recovering the compensation you need. Without the right representation, you may not receive fair treatment or be fully compensated.

Our firm has decades of experience fighting for the rights and legal interests of our clients. During that time, we have recovered more than $400 million in compensation on behalf of these victims. We invite you to contact our law offices today. You can request a free consultation with one of our highly qualified Tampa medical malpractice attorneys.

How Do I Know If I Have a Case of Medical Malpractice?

One of the best ways to find out if you have a medical malpractice case is to discuss your situation with a knowledgeable attorney. What happened to you is unique, so you need someone to look at the specific circumstances that led to your injury.

If we determine you may have a medical malpractice case, you will need to prove it. Legally speaking, the burden of proving personal injury cases, including medical malpractice, falls to the injured party. Fortunately, you do not have to try to take on the attorneys of a hospital or doctor on your own. You can seek legal help and hire an attorney to take on your case and represent you as the injured patient.

Your attorney would then need to establish the following elements of negligence on your behalf:

• A medical professional, such as doctor or nurse, established a duty of care by treating you.
• The legal duty was breached when that medical professional failed to provide proper treatment, such as by a wrong diagnosis, giving the wrong medication or making a mistake during surgery.
• Another similarly competent doctor or nurse would have applied treatment differently under similar circumstances.
• You or a loved one suffered injury, disfigurement or death as a result.
• Damages, such as medical costs, permanent disfigurement and other losses resulted from this medical negligence.

Medical malpractice shatters the trust between a patient and their doctor or other healthcare professional. It also causes significant financial burdens for the patient, along with long-term health issues, lost wages, reduced future earnings and a diminished quality of life.

What Are Some Examples of Medical Malpractice?

Medical malpractice can occur during any type of treatment provided by your doctor or other healthcare professional.

Some common examples of medical malpractice in Florida include:

• Surgical Errors: Making a mistake during an operation, such as leaving surgical instruments inside the patient or operating on the wrong part of the body.

• Failure to Provide Adequate Treatment: Occurs if the treatment given is insufficient or inappropriate for the patient’s condition. For example, if a doctor failed to prescribe antibiotics because he or she diagnosed you with a virus when you actually had a bacterial infection.

• Treatment Delays: If a doctor diagnosed your symptoms as something minor but later discovered you had cancer. This delay would likely allow the cancer to continue spreading, possibly limiting your ability to recover.

• Childbirth Injuries: An infant or its mother could be severely harmed during childbirth due to medical negligence, such as the improper use of forceps during delivery. An infant in this situation could suffer significant trauma, leading to Erb’s palsy or other permanent medical conditions.

• Misdiagnoses: An incorrect diagnosis could lead to the wrong treatment or not getting the treatment you need fast enough. Say, for instance, you were misdiagnosed with heartburn when your symptoms should have told the doctor you were having a stroke. In this situation, you might not get the right care soon enough to prevent permanent disability.

• Anesthesia Errors: Mistakes made during the administration of anesthesia can cause severe harm. For example, administering too much anesthesia can lead to brain damage or even death.

• Defective Medical Equipment: Faulty medical devices can cause severe injury. A defective hip joint, for example, could lead to impingement or other issues that force the patient to have to get corrective surgery.

Who Can Be Held Liable for Medical Malpractice?

When patients are injured by medical negligence, multiple parties may be responsible. Any medical professional who created a duty of care by treating you may be held liable if their negligence causes you harm.

Liable parties in medical malpractice cases often include:

• Doctors and surgeons
• Nurses
• Hospitals and medical facilities
• Pharmacists
• Anesthesiologists
• Medical device manufacturers
• Other healthcare professionals

Depending on the type of injury, you may not be immediately aware something is wrong. For instance, if an artificial hip joint replacement was not properly done, you may not know that in the early stages after your surgery. In other situations, such as if a surgical device was mistakenly left inside you, you may not know who was responsible.

These are just a couple of situations where an injured patient can benefit from having legal representation. Your attorney can investigate and gather evidence about your case to determine who may be liable for your damages.

Think medical malpractice is rare?

A 2018 Johns Hopkins study claims more than 250,000 people in the United States die every year from medical errors that are completely preventable. And from 2009-2018, Florida claimed a spot in the top three states that took the lead in medical malpractice lawsuits. 

What Should I Do If I Believe I Was Injured by Medical Malpractice?

If you suspect you are a victim of medical malpractice, you should not delay taking steps to protect your physical well-being. You should also act immediately to help protect your legal interests, such as by:

• Seeking Immediate Medical Attention: Prioritize your health first by getting medical care to address your immediate injuries.
• Gathering Evidence: Collect medical records, photos of your injuries, medical bills and any other supporting evidence that is related to your treatment and subsequent injury.
• Consulting With a Medical Malpractice Lawyer: An attorney who is experienced in medical malpractice law can discuss your situation with you in a consultation by phone, secure video conferencing or in person. This initial case review is both confidential and completely free.

At Chris Ligori & Associates, you are not obligated to file a claim, even if we determine you may have legal options. If you do choose our firm to represent your case, however, you do not have to worry about upfront costs or fees. We accept medical malpractice cases on contingency. This means that we only get paid if we win a favorable outcome for you.

Why Do I Need a Lawyer to Prove Medical Malpractice?

Medical malpractice claims are hard to prove, and they are different from other types of personal injuries. You need an experienced attorney who understands these differences and knows the complexities of medical malpractice law. Mistakes made in injury lawsuits generally mean less compensation for the injured victim. Having an attorney can give you peace of mind knowing someone is on your side and fighting to protect your legal interests.

If you believe you or a loved one has been a victim of medical negligence, it is crucial to act promptly. The statute of limitations for filing medical malpractice claims in Florida is just two years. This may sound like a long time, but in legal cases, this time gets eaten up very quickly. Your attorney needs time to investigate, gather evidence and build a compelling case on your behalf. Waiting too long to seek legal help could cause you to lose your right to seek compensation.