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Medical Malpractice Lawyer
40+ Years of Experience
If you or someone you know has been the victim of medical malpractice, it’s crucial to act quickly to protect your rights. Hospitals and insurance companies are focused on protecting their own interests—not yours. With over 40 years of experience and Board Certification as a Civil Trial Specialist, Alan Sackrin is uniquely qualified to handle complex medical malpractice cases and fight for the compensation you deserve.
What to Do Immediately After You Believe You Were the Victim of Medical Malpractice
If you suspect that you or a loved one has been harmed due to medical malpractice, it’s important to act quickly to protect your rights and gather the evidence needed to support your claim. Here are the steps you should take:
- Seek Immediate Medical Attention: Your health and safety should be your top priority. If you are experiencing complications or worsening symptoms, seek medical care from another healthcare provider as soon as possible. Request a second opinion to confirm the nature of the malpractice and to begin addressing any harm caused by the initial treatment.
- Request Your Medical Records: Obtain copies of all relevant medical records, including test results, treatment plans, prescriptions, and notes from healthcare providers. These records are critical for identifying errors and proving negligence. Be specific when requesting records to ensure you receive all necessary documentation.
- Document Everything: Keep a detailed record of your experience, including dates, symptoms, treatments, and any conversations with healthcare providers (doctors, nurses, physician assistant,etc.). Write down what you believe went wrong and how it has affected your health. Take photos of any visible injuries or complications, such as surgical scars, infections, or physical damage.
- Avoid Confronting the Healthcare Provider: While it may be tempting to confront the doctor or hospital, or other health care professional, about the suspected malpractice, avoid doing so without legal guidance. Anything you say could be used against you later. Instead, focus on gathering evidence and consulting with an experienced medical malpractice attorney.
- Do Not Sign Anything Without Legal Advice: If the hospital, doctor, or their insurance company offers you a settlement or asks you to sign documents, do not agree to anything without consulting an attorney first. These offers are often designed to minimize their liability and may not fully compensate you for your damages.
- Consult an Experienced Medical Malpractice Lawyer: Contact a medical malpractice attorney as soon as possible to discuss your case. An experienced lawyer can help you understand your legal options, evaluate the strength of your claim, and guide you through the process of filing a lawsuit. In Florida, there is a statute of limitations for medical malpractice claims, so it’s important to act quickly to preserve your rights.
- Preserve Evidence: Keep all medical bills, receipts, and correspondence related to your treatment. These documents can help establish the financial impact of the malpractice. If you have any physical evidence, such as defective medical devices or improperly labeled medications, store them safely.
- Take Care of Your Emotional Well-Being: Experiencing medical malpractice can be traumatic. Seek support from family, friends, or a counselor to help you cope with the emotional toll. Remember that pursuing a medical malpractice claim is not just about financial compensation—it’s about holding the responsible party accountable and preventing similar harm to others.
What is Medical Malpractice?
Medical malpractice occurs when a healthcare provider fails to meet the standard of care expected in their field, resulting in serious injuries or even death. Common examples include:
- Misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis.
- Surgical errors, such as wrong-site surgeries or punctures.
- Medication errors, including incorrect prescriptions or dosages.
- Failure to order necessary tests or recognize symptoms.
According to the Institute of Medicine, preventable medical errors in hospitals cause between 44,000 and 98,000 deaths annually. These cases are complex and require an experienced attorney to navigate the legal and medical issues involved.
Types of Medical Malpractice
Alan Sackrin has over 40 years of experience handling a wide range of medical malpractice cases, including:
- Diagnostic Errors: Failure to diagnose, delayed diagnosis, or misdiagnosis of conditions like cancer or infections.
- Surgical Errors: Mistakes during surgery, such as wrong-site operations, bowel perforations, or improper closures.
- Medication Errors: Incorrect prescriptions, dosages, or adverse drug reactions.
- Birth Injuries: Negligence during labor and delivery, leading to conditions like cerebral palsy or Erb’s palsy.
- Hospital Negligence: Infections, inadequate post-operative care, or failure to follow protocols.
These cases often result in life-altering consequences, and Alan is dedicated to helping victims seek justice and compensation.
Key Concerns About Medical Malpractice Claims
Over the years, key concerns that visitors and clients have raised about medical malpractice, include:
- Failure to Recognize Symptoms: Numerous cases involved medical professionals failing to identify significant health conditions (e.g., infections, cellulitis, and cancers) in a timely manner. Symptoms being dismissed or improperly addressed, leading to life-threatening complications like sepsis, organ failure, or advanced stages of disease.
- Incorrect Medications: A frequent issue included being prescribed medications that were either unnecessary or harmful, which worsened existing conditions (e.g., kidney failures, severe allergic reactions, or cascading health issues).
- Wrong-Site Surgeries: Errors such as operating on incorrect body parts or removing the wrong lymph nodes during cancer treatment.
- Post-Surgical Negligence: Recurring issues involved surgeons improperly closing surgical sites or failing to prevent or address infections, resulting in additional surgeries, chronic pain, and long-term damage.
- Unnecessary or Poorly Performed Procedures: Cases involved unqualified or overly optimistic use of technologies and techniques, leading to complications, poor outcomes, and permanent damage.
- Diagnostic Oversights: Many people describe healthcare providers ignoring lab results, refusing further testing, or misinterpreting diagnostic imaging. This often resulted in worsened conditions (e.g., untreated infections, MRSA, or cancer diagnoses at advanced stages).
- Failure to Inform and Advise Patients: Patients frequently mention healthcare providers failing to disclose risks, ignoring prior medical histories, or bypassing necessary consultations.
- Hospital Protocol Failures: Issues with under-staffing, delayed emergency care, and inadequate post-operative monitoring exacerbated patient conditions.
- Permanent Disability or Chronic Issues: Many visitors experienced chronic pain, loss of function, disfigurement, and reduced quality of life following errors.
- Life-Altering Effects: Emotional distress and financial strain due to prolonged recovery, inability to work, and ongoing medical care needs resulting from the malpractice.
- Repeated Surgeries: A common issue for patients was the need for multiple corrective surgeries due to initial errors or infections.
- Infections: A significant number of cases involve the contraction of infections—such as MRSA or sepsis—while hospitalized, due to non-sterile conditions or neglect of proper follow-up care. Read: What Are A Patient’s Rights Relating To Hospital Infections?
- Insufficient Patient Treatment: Callers frequently described being dismissed, whether due to busy facilities or underestimations of the severity of symptoms. A significant issue included medical negligence stemming from insufficient notes and communication during patient handovers.
- Repercussions Due to Errors: Surgical neglect often resulted not just in physical consequences but also significant mental health issues.
- Delayed Care: Clients and visitors repeatedly stressed frustration over delays in receiving diagnoses or corrective treatment, often exacerbating their medical conditions.
- Options for Seeking Justice: Many patients were unsure about their legal options for seeking justice.
- Compensation – Recoverable Damages: For life-altering consequences like permanent disability or chronic illness, patients sought legal advice on receiving compensation to cover medical bills, future care, loss of the enjoyment of life, pain and suffering, loss of income and other economic and non-economic damages.
- Proving a Claim: Visitors frequently mentioned the difficulty of proving negligence and sought advice on how to prove a medical malpractice claim.
Alan Sackrin’s experience and understanding of medical malpractice law can help address these concerns and build a strong case for compensation.
Read: How do you know if you have a case for medical malpractice?
Compensation for Medical Malpractice
Victims of medical malpractice may be entitled to:
- Economic Damages: Covering medical bills, lost wages, and future care needs.
- Non-Economic Damages: Compensation for pain, suffering, mental anguish, and loss of enjoyment of life. There is a limit of $500,000 on non-economic damages, with the exception of incidents where the injured party is left in a permanent vegetative state (See Florida Statute 766.118).
- Punitive Damages: Awarded in cases of gross negligence or reckless conduct to punish the at-fault party. The damages are subject to strict statutory requirements. A surgical malpractice victim must show intentional misconduct or gross negligence by clear and convincing evidence.
These damages aim to ease the financial and emotional burden on victims and help them rebuild their lives.
Why Should You Search for a “Medical Malpractice Lawyer Near Me”?
When dealing with the complexities of a medical malpractice lawsuit, having a medical malpractice attorney by your side can make all the difference. Searching for a “medical malpractice lawyer near me” ensures that you find a local attorney who is familiar with nearby healthcare providers and medical experts, which can streamline the process of gathering evidence and obtaining expert opinions. Additionally, working with a nearby lawyer allows for easier communication and in-person consultations, giving you the personalized attention your case deserves.
Why Choose Alan Sackrin?
With over 40 years of experience, Alan Sackrin has successfully handled some of the most complex medical malpractice cases in Florida. Here’s what sets him apart:
- Board-Certified Expertise: Alan is a Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer, a distinction held by less than 2% of Florida attorneys.
- Proven Trial Skills: Alan is prepared to take your case to trial and appeal if necessary, ensuring you receive the compensation you deserve.
- Client-Centered Approach: Alan is dedicated to protecting his clients’ rights and providing compassionate, personalized service.
- Extensive Experience: Alan has handled cases involving large hospitals and insurance companies, navigating their tactics to secure fair settlements.
Alan’s trial skills, legal knowledge, and ability to hire the rights experts are essential to proving negligence and securing justice for his clients.
See: Complaint For Medical Malpractice filed by Alan – Negligent Performance of a Surgical Procedure
Alan handles medical malpractice lawsuits for injuries occurring at Memorial Regional Hospital and Aventura Hospital and other medical facilities located in Hallandale Beach, Hollywood, Aventura, Fort Lauderdale, Miramar, Pembroke Pines, Weston, Davie, North Miami Beach, Dania Beach and all other cities in Dade and Broward County and throughout Florida since 1982.
Get A Free Consultation By An Experienced Medical Malpractice Lawyer – Call (954) 458-8655
If you or a loved one has been harmed by medical malpractice, you don’t have to face the challenges alone. With over 40 years of experience, Alan Sackrin is here to guide you through the legal process and fight for the compensation you deserve.
Contact Alan Sackrin today for a free consultation at 954-458-8655 or by e-mail through this website to schedule an appointment to get started.
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Related:
- Medical Malpractice Lawsuit in Florida
- Surgical Malpractice Lawsuits
- Failure to Diagnose Lawsuit in Florida
- Wrongful Death
- Home Health Care Negligence Claims in Florida
- Medical Malpractice FAQs
- Medical Malpractice in Florida – Main Index