Medical Malpractice

Established Rolla, MO Law Firm Manages Medical Malpractice Litigation

Determined representation for victims of substandard healthcare in South-Central Missouri

When you place yourself in the hands of any healthcare provider, you have the right to expect professional performance and a high standard of care. Unfortunately, far too often, negligent care causes serious injury to unsuspecting patients, who suffer unnecessary pain and require additional care to heal the harm. If you have been hurt by a negligent doctor, surgeon, dentist, chiropractor, nurse or other healthcare provider, the personal injury attorneys at Williams, Robinson, Rigler & Buschjost, P.C. in Rolla are prepared to help. We thoroughly investigate your claim to uncover evidence of medical errors and take decisive steps to hold all negligent parties accountable. With more than 100 years of combined legal experience, our attorneys are ready to undertake even the most difficult cases to pursue justice for our injured clients throughout South-Central Missouri.

What is necessary to prove medical malpractice?

As with other types of personal injury, an injured patient must prove four legal elements to establish a case of medical malpractice:

  • Duty — The plaintiff must prove that the defendant healthcare provider had a duty of care. It is sufficient to show that the plaintiff was a patient of the defendant.
  • Breach — A more difficult element to prove is the breach of the provider’s duty of care. In plain language, the plaintiff patient must prove that the healthcare provider made a mistake that a reasonably well-trained and attentive provider would not have made. In other words, the mistake was one that demonstrates negligent care that violates professional standards.
  • Causation — It is not enough to show that the healthcare provider made a mistake; the patient must also prove that the mistake directly led to injuries the patient suffered. In other words, if not for the provider’s error, the patient would not have sustained the injury.
  • Damages — Finally, the patient must demonstrate the full extent of the harm that the provider’s negligence caused and demand compensation. Damages fall into two main categories: economic and noneconomic. The first refers to monetary losses now and in the future due to the injury. The latter covers intangible but real losses, such as pain and suffering, loss of quality of life, and loss of enjoyment of life.

Proof of these elements requires expert testimony from medical professionals. We consult with many credible experts who participate in our investigation and prepare reports on the medical issues in the case.

Common examples of medical malpractice

Any licensed professional, from a nurse to a surgeon, can be liable for malpractice when a careless mistake leads to harm. Common types of medical malpractice include:

  • Anesthesia errors — Too much anesthesia can cause brain damage due to anoxia, while too little can allow a patient to awaken during surgery.
  • Misdiagnoses — Missing the obvious signs of cancer, heart disease or infectious disease can have devastating consequences for the patient.
  • Drug errors — Prescribing the wrong medication or the wrong dosage, improperly filling a prescription, or dispensing drugs improperly in a hospital setting can cause severe harm to a patient.
  • Surgical errors — Incision errors, postoperative infections, objects left in body cavities and even the wrong surgical procedure being performed cause unnecessary harm to patients.
  • Dental errors — Errors during tooth extraction can damage facial and lingual nerves and lead to drooping facial features, loss of taste and speech problems.

This is, of course, a limited list of the harm that negligence can cause. If you are suffering because a healthcare provider made an error, it is important to contact an experienced injury attorney immediately. We’ll go over your medical records and consult with an expert in the medical profession. We are prepared to fight for the just compensation you deserve.

For determined medical malpractice representation, call our Rolla law firm today

Williams, Robinson, Rigler & Buschjost, P.C. in Rolla provides highly professional medical malpractice representation for injured patients throughout South-Central Missouri. To schedule an appointment, call 573-458-5200 or contact us online.

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