Every year, thousands of Americans are injured or killed by medical mistakes, and studies have concluded that medical errors pose a major public health hazard. A medical mistake can often have devastating consequences for a patient or their family.
In Vermont, as in most states, the law gives a patient who is injured or killed by a medical mistake the right to pursue a medical malpractice claim. In reality, it is very difficult to win such claims, and lawyers who represent patients are very careful to take only the strongest and most meritorious cases. Even when presented with strong claims, many hospitals, doctors and their insurance companies put up a fight, often refusing to make reasonable settlement offers and requiring the patient to file time-consuming and expensive lawsuits.
For these reasons, someone considering bringing a medical malpractice case should think long and hard before filing a claim, and should find an attorney who specializes in these kinds of cases, who can give them honest advice about whether it would make sense to pursue a claim.
If you think you have been the victim of medical negligence, please click here for more information.