240-744-1600
Stars
Takoma Park Medical Malpractice Attorney
Skilled Medical Malpractice Lawyer Representing Clients in Takoma Park, MD
Attorney Spotlight A.J. Serafini
- Elite Lawyer, 2024 - Present
- Super Lawyers Rising Stars, 2021 - Present
- The National Trial Lawyers, Top 40 Under 40
- Herald-Mail Readers' Choice Award for Best Attorney, 2018
- Herald-Mail Media's "Best of the Tri-state", 2019 and 2020
When a hospital or clinic falls short of its duty of care, the impact on a patient's health can be disastrous. Holding a medical provider accountable for harm done through malpractice can be difficult, as they may aggressively defend against assertions of fault. If you need help pursuing a legal claim, consider working with a Takoma Park medical malpractice attorney.
At Serafini Law, we know how complex these claims can be. We are here to provide you with focused counsel to protect your rights, keeping you informed of your options. Attorney Andrew Serafini has over 15 years of legal experience, and he has been recognized with numerous awards over his career, including recognition as Best Personal Injury Attorney in Hagerstown by Business Rate.
GET JUSTICE FOR YOUR INJURIES –– CALL 240-744-1600
Common Doctor Errors That Qualify as Medical Malpractice
When a doctor makes a preventable error that a reasonably careful provider would not have made under similar circumstances, the injured patient may have a claim.
Common examples of medical malpractice may include medication errors, failure to order necessary tests, misreading test results, poor patient monitoring, improper discharge, failure to refer a patient to a specialist, surgical mistakes, and failure to respond to warning signs. A hospital could also be held responsible if unsafe policies, poor communication, understaffing, or lack of proper supervision caused the injury.
These cases usually require a careful review of medical records. A patient may know that something went wrong, but proving exactly how the mistake happened can be difficult without medical input. Our Takoma Park medical malpractice lawyer can investigate what happened and help determine whether negligence caused your injury.
Medical Malpractice in the ER
Emergency rooms are busy, high-pressure places. Doctors and nurses may need to make quick decisions with limited information. Even so, ER staff members must still take reasonable steps to evaluate patients, respond to serious symptoms, and provide proper treatment.
ER malpractice may involve delayed treatment, failure to diagnose a heart attack, stroke, infection, internal bleeding, blood clot, or sepsis. It may also involve misread imaging, medication mistakes, poor triage decisions, or discharging a patient who needed more testing or observation.
Many emergency room injuries happen when clear danger signs are missed. Chest pain, trouble breathing, weakness on one side of the body, high fever, confusion, severe abdominal pain, or signs of shock should be taken seriously. If a patient is sent home without proper care and later suffers serious harm, the provider's actions may need to be reviewed.
What Is My
Case Worth? Let's Find Out
The value of a personal injury case depends on factors like the severity of your injuries, the impact on your ability to work, and medical expenses. At Serafini Law, we evaluate each case to determine the potential compensation, including:
- Medical Expenses Coverage for past and future medical bills related to your injury.
- Lost Wages Compensation for the income you have lost due to your inability to work.
- Pain & Suffering Financial compensation for physical and emotional distress.
- Property Damage Reimbursement for damage to your vehicle or other property.
- Punitive Damages In cases of extreme negligence, additional compensation may be awarded as a form of punishment.
Think you
have a case?
Mr. Serafini was great about keeping us informed every step of the process of our case. He was always available to answer our emails or phone calls with concerns or questions. Mr. Serafini's Paralegal, Joanne, was also ex-tremely helpful and responded quickly to our concerns. Serifini Law shows their clients compassionate understanding.
Investigating Birth Injury Causes in Takoma Park
Labor and delivery require close monitoring of both the infant and the mother. Doctors and nurses must recognize signs of fetal distress, maternal distress, oxygen loss, abnormal bleeding, infection, shoulder dystocia, umbilical cord problems, and other complications.
A birth injury claim may arise when medical staff fail to respond properly during pregnancy, labor, or delivery. For example, a doctor may wait too long to order a C-section, use forceps or a vacuum extractor improperly, miss changes in the baby's heart rate, overlook a serious maternal condition, or give the wrong medication.
When these mistakes affect the baby's oxygen levels or physical safety, the result can be severe. Some children suffer brain damage, nerve injuries, fractures, developmental delays, cerebral palsy, or other long-term harm.
Parents may have many questions after a difficult birth. Was the injury unavoidable? Did the doctor wait too long to act? Should hospital staff have noticed distress sooner? Medical records, fetal monitoring strips, delivery notes, and expert review can help answer these questions.
Injured? Call 240-744-1600 Now.
Representing Victims of Incorrect or Delayed Diagnoses in Takoma Park
An incorrect or delayed diagnosis can prevent a patient from getting treatment when it matters most. Some medical conditions become much more dangerous when care is delayed. Cancer, strokes, heart attacks, infections, blood clots, internal bleeding, and organ problems may all worsen if doctors miss the signs.
A diagnosis error may happen when a provider dismisses symptoms, fails to order tests, misreads imaging or lab work, or does not refer the patient to a specialist. In some cases, the problem is not one single mistake. It may be a chain of poor communication between doctors, nurses, labs, and hospitals.
To bring a delayed diagnosis claim forward, you generally need to show that a careful provider would have identified the condition sooner, and that the delay in treatment caused harm. For example, a cancer diagnosis delay might result in the disease spreading. A delayed stroke diagnosis can cause a patient to miss a treatment window. An untreated infection may become life-threatening.
Frequently Asked Questions About Medical Malpractice in Takoma Park
Several parties may be responsible for medical malpractice. A claim may be brought against a doctor, nurse, surgeon, anesthesiologist, specialist, pharmacist, hospital, urgent care center, clinic, or other health care provider. In some cases, more than one party may share fault. For example, a doctor may make the wrong decision, while a hospital may have failed to provide proper staffing, training, or supervision.
Going to trial may be worth it when the insurance company or medical provider refuses to accept responsibility or offer a fair settlement. Many cases settle before trial, but settlement is not always possible. A lawyer can help weigh the risks and benefits of trial based on the facts of your case.
Medical malpractice is usually proven through medical records, expert opinions, witness testimony, and evidence showing how the provider's actions fell below the accepted standard of care. You must also show that the mistake caused your injury.
Filing a Suit for Medical Malpractice in Takoma Park
Medical malpractice claims in Maryland are not usually filed in court right away. Many claims must first go through Maryland's Health Care Alternative Dispute Resolution Office. This arbitration process is a required step in many medical negligence cases. Depending on how the claim proceeds, the case may later move into court.
This process can be technical. It may involve certificates, expert review, deadlines, medical records, and formal pleadings. Missing a required step can hurt your claim. That is why it is important to speak with a lawyer as soon as you believe medical negligence caused serious harm. For lawsuits involving medical malpractice in Takoma Park, you can head to the circuit court at:
- 50 Maryland Avenue, Rockville, MD 20850
Contact a Takoma Park, MD Medical Malpractice Lawyer
At Serafini Law, we help people harmed by medical negligence understand what happened and what legal options may be available. Call 240-744-1600 or contact our Takoma Park, Maryland medical malpractice attorney to schedule a free consultation.
Free Consultations240-744-1600
