It’s scary to think that a highly-educated, experienced doctor could engage in negligent practices, but it’s something that happens every day, and you need to be prepared. As a patient, you need a good lawyer on your side who will fight for you if you are the victim of medical malpractice. Even the best, most compassionate doctors can make mistakes, and you have rights if you believe you have suffered malpractice. Here are five reasons why you should hire a medical malpractice lawyer.
Your Lawyer is a Liaison Between You and the Insurance Company
It seems unfair, but insurance companies are extremely hard to work with. If you don’t know the right things to say to the representative, you may not get the results you are looking for. Your malpractice lawyer can talk to the insurance company for you. They have plenty of experience dealing with insurers, and they will know exactly how to navigate phone calls to get the information they need for the case. This will prevent you from saying the wrong things, and save you a lot of time and headache.
They Can Help You Avoid Mistakes When Filing Your Claim
Filing a medical malpractice claim is not a straightforward, simple process. You may be unsure about where to start, and making a mistake when filing can cause you to lose your case. Your lawyer can help you file the claim and avoid making detrimental mistakes. They can leverage their knowledge of the legal and medical fields to help you nail down the details of your malpractice claim.
They Increase Your Odds of Winning the Case
Your lawyer will help you set the correct expectations for your settlement. Some patients expect a large settlement, but that’s not always reasonable. Malpractice lawyers use their extensive knowledge to find the best settlement and help you get it. If you try to win your case without the help of a medical malpractice lawyer, you may be disappointed when you don’t get the settlement you are looking for.
They Can Leverage Their Reputation
Once your medical malpractice lawyer has decided on an appropriate value for your claim, they still have to negotiate it. Your lawyer’s status and reputation make them harder to hassle and intimidate, so it’s much easier for them to get the settlement they are looking for. You are very unlikely to succeed in negotiating a settlement without the help of a medical malpractice lawyer. Insurance companies and providers can give you the runaround, but it’s impossible to do that to a lawyer who knows exactly how the game is played.
They Know the Ins and Outs of a Courtroom
Anyone with a keen knowledge of the legal system has a higher chance of success in the courtroom. If your case goes before a jury, your lawyer will know exactly how to steer the odds in your favor. Your medical malpractice lawyer will have the ability to properly argue your case in front of the jurors. As long as you have a valid claim, the right lawyer should be able to prove your case to the judge and jury.
A medical malpractice lawyer knows exactly what they need to prove to claim malpractice. Malpractice has a lot of gray area. It isn’t always doctors intentionally harming or neglecting patients. In some cases, a doctor may have failed to properly follow up, causing a patient undue harm. Your lawyer can help you identify what constitutes malpractice so it can be properly claimed. It’s also important to remember that a bad outcome doesn’t always indicate malpractice. Every medication, treatment, and procedure has risks, and doctors are not subject to legal repercussions as long as they did their job to the fullest extent.
If you are the victim of medical malpractice, it’s nearly impossible to win your case by yourself. Insurance companies and the justice system are nightmares to navigate, so it pays to have the right medical malpractice lawyer on your side. If you live in New York, you should research the best medical malpractice lawyers in NYC to find the one that is the most qualified to handle your case.