Santa Monica Medical Practice Negligence Compensation
The University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) Medical School has an established residency program and operates a teaching hospital, UCLA-Santa Monica. In addition, the school’s Westwood campus houses a large number of medical specialists including family medicine, cardiology, surgery, oncology, and urology. Many of these specialists provide medical services to patients at the Santa Monica Medical Center.
Doctors and other health care professionals must follow strict standards of care when treating their patients. These standards are outlined in the medical profession’s malpractice laws. When doctors breach this standard of care, they are liable for any injuries their negligence causes.
Medical malpractice is a complex issue and requires an experienced personal injury attorney to build a strong case. A Santa Monica medical malpractice lawyer can investigate the incident and gather evidence to demonstrate that a physician breached their duty of care in a way that led to injury or death.
There are several elements that must be proven to establish medical malpractice, including a breach of the medical standard of care, a link between that breach and measurable patient harms, and the amount of damages the victim suffered due to that harm. A successful malpractice claim will result in a settlement or verdict awarding the victim compensation for past and future medical expenses, lost income, out-of-pocket costs, rehabilitation expenses, and measurable awards for pain and suffering.
Unlike other types of personal injury cases, malpractice claims are often settled before reaching a jury trial. This allows victims to receive a fair payout for their injury without the stress and expense of a long trial.
A personal injury attorney in Santa Monica Medical Practice Negligence Compensation can help their client recover the maximum possible amount of compensation for their injury. They can also help them navigate the complex legal process and ensure that their case is filed within the appropriate time frame. Under California law, adults have one year to file a lawsuit when they discover their medical injury. Children do not have this restriction and can pursue a medical malpractice claim with the help of a Santa Monica personal injury attorney.
There is no systematic evidence that a high-stakes liability regime creates higher quality or safer medical treatment. In fact, there is evidence that unreformed medical malpractice laws increase the cost of insurance and reduces coverage for those who need it most. For these reasons, California voters will weigh a ballot initiative in 2014 to raise the cap on non-economic damages awarded to victims of medical malpractice.