Were you or a loved one harmed because a doctor or medical provider made a mistake in Harrisburg, PA? If you were a victim of medical negligence, you may be entitled to compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Let an experienced Harrisburg medical malpractice lawyer at Marzzacco Niven & Associates help you fight for the money you deserve.
Since we opened our doors over 25 years ago, our lawyers have fought hard to protect the rights of injured clients. We’ve recovered tens of millions of dollars on behalf of clients across Pennsylvania.
Contact our law offices in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, call (717) 231-1640 to speak with our legal team and schedule a free consultation today.
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How Marzzacco Niven & Associates Can Help With a Medical Malpractice Claim in Harrisburg
When a trusted medical provider makes a mistake, it’s the patient who is left to deal with the consequences. While you can’t reverse the damage to your health, you may be able to seek financial compensation for your losses.
Unfortunately, getting compensation for your injuries can be challenging. Pennsylvania medical malpractice laws tend to favor doctors and hospitals. Insurance companies have unlimited resources to challenge your claim. You deserve an experienced Harrisburg injury lawyer who will fight for you.
At Marzzacco Niven & Associates, we have decades of combined experience. We’ve fought to hold negligent doctors and hospitals responsible for their mistakes–and we’ve succeeded. Our attorneys have been recognized as Super Lawyers, Best Lawyers of America, and National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40.
When you hire us, we will:
- Investigate, review your medical records, and find evidence to support your claim
- Work with respected medical experts
- Make sure the insurance company takes you seriously
- Calculate the fair value of your case
- Negotiate to recover the maximum compensation you deserve
Doctors don’t like to admit they’ve made a mistake. Our Harrisburg personal injury attorneys are here to help you prove your case. Just give us a quick call today to schedule a free initial consultation to learn more.
How Common is Medical Malpractice in Harrisburg, PA?
Medical negligence is much more common than any of us would like to think. According to a Johns Hopkins study, medical malpractice is the third-leading cause of death in the United States. Medical mistakes are responsible for up to 440,000 deaths per year in the U.S.
Pennsylvania is one of the top states in the nation when it comes to medical malpractice payouts. Statewide, an average of 909 victims claim compensation for medical malpractice injuries each year.
What is My Harrisburg Medical Malpractice Case Worth?
According to recent reports, the average medical malpractice payout is about $400,000. However, every case is unique. Your settlement or verdict could be higher or lower, depending on the circumstances.
The value of your medical malpractice claim may depend on:
- The nature of the harm you’ve suffered
- The type of mistake that caused your harm
- Whether you will suffer from a long-term or permanent impairment
- The cost and duration of your medical treatment
- Whether liability has been clearly established
- Who was responsible for the mistake
- The amount of insurance coverage available
It’s also important to evaluate the impact that the mistake had on your life. Every patient responds differently–and your emotional and physical suffering are both important.
What Types of Damages Are Available to Victims of Medical Malpractice?
Victims of medical malpractice in Pennsylvania are entitled to be fully compensated for their losses. That includes both economic damages and non-economic damages.
Some examples of the types of damages you may have suffered include:
- Past and future medical expenses
- Lost wages and income
- Reduced future earning potential
- Rehabilitation
- Corrective surgeries, procedures, and treatments
- Medications and medical devices
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Physical disfigurement and scarring
- Anxiety or depression
- Reduced life expectancy
- Loss of consortium
There is no limit to the amount of compensatory damages you can receive. However, Pennsylvania law has a cap on damages for punitive damages in medical malpractice cases.
If you were a victim of gross negligence or especially dangerous behavior, you may be entitled to punitive damages. Punitive damages are capped at 200% of your compensatory damages award.
We’ll Fight to Recover Compensation for All of Your Injuries
Quality medical care can make a huge difference in a patient’s life. Likewise, a mistake can dramatically reduce your quality of life.
Our lawyers at Marzzacco Niven & Associates will fight to recover fair compensation for all of the harm you’ve suffered.
Some common long-term consequences of medical errors include:
- More invasive medical treatments
- The need for ongoing care
- Chronic pain
- Development of new medical conditions
- Infection
- Pain medication dependency
- Severe depression
- Reduced life expectancy
- Catastrophic injuries
Some medical mistakes eventually prove to be fatal. If you’ve lost a loved one because of a physician’s mistake, our lawyers can fight to recover damages for wrongful death.
What Are the Common Causes of Medical Malpractice in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania?
Most doctors, nurses, and healthcare providers do their best to provide quality medical care. Unfortunately, not all doctors live up to their responsibilities. When you or a loved one are hurt because of a medical error, you may have the right to take legal action.
However, it can be helpful to know why so many medical mistakes occur.
Some of the most common causes of medical errors in Harrisburg include:
- Lack of experience
- Outdated medical knowledge
- Misinterpreting lab results
- Failure to order the correct diagnostic tests
- Failure to take a complete patient history
- Failure to recognize a patient’s symptoms
- Failure to refer the patient to a specialist
- Communication failure between staff members
- Charting errors
- Relying on defective medical devices
- Failure to obtain the patient’s informed consent
- Failure to monitor the patient before, during, and after treatment
- Failure to provide adequate post-operative care or instructions
- Physician bias toward the patient
Any type of deviation from the generally accepted medical standard of care can result in medical malpractice. If you suspect you were a victim of a doctor’s mistake, call our law firm to schedule a free case review today. We’d be happy to discuss your legal options.
We Handle All Types of Medical Malpractice Claims in Harrisburg
At Marzzacco Niven & Associates, we handle all types of medical malpractice claims in Harrisburg, including those involving:
- Failure to diagnose a disease
- Misdiagnosis
- Delayed diagnosis
- Failure to diagnose cancer
- Anesthesia errors
- Surgical errors
- Emergency room errors
- Medication errors
- Nursing errors
- Hospital negligence
- Pharmacy errors
- Birth injuries
- Brain damage
- Hospital-acquired infection
Not every poor outcome gives the patient a right to seek compensation for medical malpractice. However, some mistakes are so serious that they should never happen.
How Do I Establish My Right to Compensation for Medical Malpractice in Pennsylvania?
All doctors and healthcare professionals in Pennsylvania owe their patients a duty of care. In other words, your doctor has to provide the level of care that a reasonably trained doctor would have provided under the same circumstances. This is also called the medical standard of care.
The question becomes whether a doctor with similar training would have provided the same care you received under the circumstances. If the answer is no, you may be entitled to compensation based on medical negligence.
However, to have a legitimate medical malpractice claim, you’ll have to prove a few different things. Those include:
- A legal duty of care (such as a doctor-patient relationship)
- A breach of duty (some type of error or omission)
- You were harmed in some way
- The breach directly caused the harm you suffered
Building a successful medical malpractice case can be extremely challenging. You may not know precisely how or why you were harmed. Our experienced Harrisburg medical malpractice attorneys can help you find the evidence you’ll need to support your claim.
Expert witness testimony will be critical to proving that your doctor failed to live up to the generally accepted standard of care under Pennsylvania medical malpractice laws. Our lawyers have relationships with respected experts who can help your case.
How Long Do I Have to File a Medical Malpractice Lawsuit in Pennsylvania?
The statute of limitations in most Pennsylvania medical malpractice cases is two years. Victims have two years from the date of their injury to file a lawsuit.
However, you could have more time if:
- You were under 18 at the time the mistake occurred
- The doctor or healthcare provider left a foreign object in your body
- The responsible party fraudulently concealed facts about your case
- There was a reasonable delay in discovering your injury
If you have questions about the deadlines in your case, don’t wait to get legal advice. Call our lawyers in Harrisburg for a free case evaluation today.
Contact a Harrisburg Medical Malpractice Lawyer for a Free Consultation
Did your doctor or medical professional violate your trust? Call a Harrisburg medical malpractice lawyer at Marzzacco Niven & Associates today. We offer free consultations and also work on a contingency fee basis, so you won’t have to worry about any up-front costs.
Visit Our Personal Injury Law Office in Harrisburg, PA
Marzzacco Niven & Associates
945 E Park Dr Suite 103, Harrisburg, PA 17111
(717) 231-1640
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