For some reason, many victims of medical malpractice in Georgia tend to wait a bit too long before they meet with a Columbus injury lawyer. One reason for this is that a lot of people find it hard to believe that their doctor or another practitioner would do something to cause them harm. Many of our clients blame themselves for whatever injuries or adverse reactions they suffered following medical treatment.
However, what our Columbus medical malpractice attorneys have found over the years is that it is much better to assume the worst and hope for the best. It’s critically important that you let your attorney know exactly what type of procedure you received and who was involved in that treatment. This way, they can name all potential defendants in your initial medical malpractice complaint.
Here, we will discuss the various parties that can be named as defendants in your lawsuit. If you still have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact our office directly. We offer all new clients a free, initial consultation. This gives you the chance to see if you have a valid claim and what it may be worth.
Technically, Your Columbus Medical Malpractice Attorney Can Sue Any Medical Professional
According to the laws in Georgia, a patient can file suit for medical malpractice against anybody that took part in their medical care. This includes your primary doctor and the nurses that work for them. It would also include any of the hospital staff that treated you during your surgery or hospitalization.
If you have a loved one who was injured in a nursing home, your Columbus injury lawyer can also name the nursing home itself as well as any staff members in your lawsuit. The goal is to name all possible defendants in your initial complaint. This way, your Columbus medical malpractice attorney can pursue the pockets of as many responsible parties as possible.
Obvious Defendants Would Include Doctors, Nurses, and Surgeons
When people hear the term medical malpractice, they typically think of a doctor or a nurse. Of course, these are some of the people named in most medical malpractice cases. The same is true for a surgeon or surgeon’s assistant. When you think of the various types of medical procedures that people receive, the number of potential defendants is almost limitless.
Some of the more common medical mistakes that our Columbus medical malpractice attorneys have seen in the past include the following:
- Misdiagnosis or failure to diagnose
- Medication error
- Delayed diagnosis of a terminal disease
- Amputation of the wrong limb
- Conducting surgery when surgery was not needed
- Leaving surgical instruments or other foreign materials in a patient’s body
- Failure to treat
If you or your loved one have suffered any of these mistakes, you may very well have a viable case for medical malpractice. The best way to know for sure is to sit down with a Columbus injury lawyer and find out.
Your Columbus Injury Lawyer May Also Need to Name an Anesthesiologist
While most people think of doctors and nurses when they think of a malpractice case, you don’t want to forget that there are other parties that may have caused your injury. One such party is the anesthesiologist who assisted in your surgery or other procedure. Most hospitals require that two anesthesiologists be on hand for any invasive surgery. This would include exploratory surgery.
The reason for this is that if something happens to one anesthesiologist, there is somebody else there to take their place. This is because putting somebody under general anesthesia is a very complex and dangerous process. This may be why so many of our medical malpractice cases involve claims against the anesthesiologist or their assistants.
Anybody Who Offers Care to You During Your Medical Treatment Could Be a Potential Defendant
It is important to point out that the person named in your lawsuit does not necessarily have to be a doctor or nurse by profession. For example, if your mother or father is in a nursing home and one of the orderlies drops them, they could suffer a life-changing injury. Your complaint may name an orderly or nursing assistant as a defendant.
There are other parties that may be named as potential defendants by your Columbus medical malpractice attorney. Some of these include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Pharmacist or pharmacy technician
- Lab technician
- Anybody involved in diagnostic testing
- Dietitian
- Case manager
- The Administrator of the medical facility that handled your medical treatment
- Admissions director
- Executive director of a medical facility or nursing home
As you can see, the list of potential defendants in a medical malpractice case is long.
If You Aren’t Sure if You Have a Valid Claim, Contact a Columbus Medical Malpractice Lawyer
If you believe you have a claim for medical malpractice against your doctor or some other medical professional, you should contact our office right away. You can sit down and meet with one of our Columbus medical malpractice attorneys and have them review your case. We offer all new clients a free, initial consultation for this purpose.
This gives you a chance to ask any questions you may have and find out if your claim has merit. It also gives our Columbus injury lawyers the opportunity to see if your case is worth pursuing. Our team of associates has handled hundreds of medical malpractice cases in the past. Not only do they know the law, but they are also familiar with the tactics the insurance companies employ to avoid paying valid claims.
One word of caution – we suggest that you contact our office as soon as possible after your injury. There is a time limit for how long you can file your claim. If you miss this claim, not only will your case be dismissed, but you will lose the opportunity to file suit in the future.
The doctor and the hospital, or other medical professionals named in your lawsuit, will have a team of lawyers working for them. It’s in your best interest to have a Columbus medical malpractice attorney in your corner as well.
