Ohio Medical Malpractice Lawyer

Medical Malpractice Attorney in Ohio

Medical professionals are trusted to perform procedures without error, but mistakes can lead to catastrophic consequences. If you or a loved one has been harmed due to medical negligence, contact Gervelis Law Firm. Our experienced Ohio medical malpractice lawyer can pursue the compensation you deserve. Call us today for a free case consultation.

Patients trust doctors, surgeons, and other medical professionals to perform operations and other medical procedures for a variety of illnesses and sometimes life-threatening medical conditions. Often, there’s no room for error. Otherwise, the consequences can be catastrophic.

Unfortunately, medical professionals sometimes make mistakes. And when they do, a patient’s health and well-being can quickly be put at risk. Instead of getting better, you or a loved one might suddenly develop serious side effects due to medical errors. Such mistakes can also sometimes result in the death of a patient.

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If you were harmed because of medical negligence, or a loved one was injured or died, contact Gervelis Law Firm as soon as possible. Our experienced Ohio medical malpractice attorneys can work with you and make sure your personal injury case receives the attention it rightfully deserves. If you cannot come to us for your free consultation, our lawyers can come to you. Contact us right now and schedule an appointment. Call (866) 622-4096.

What Is Medical Malpractice?

Medical malpractice can mean either mistakes that health care professionals have made or a failure to provide adequate care. Some common medical malpractice mistakes include:

• Failing to recognize complications after surgery
• Delays or failures in diagnosing and properly treating a disease or condition
• Failure to take appropriate measures to provide for the birth of a healthy child
• Surgical errors made during an operation
• Mishandling of medical devices and instruments
• Failure to inform patients about the risks of an operation
• Prescription or dosage errors

According to the National Institutes of Health, one in three physicians will face a medical malpractice claim at some point in their career. Depending on the circumstances of your medical malpractice case, you have one to four years to take legal action in Ohio. Understanding Ohio’s statute of limitations laws can be confusing. That’s why it’s important to contact our law firm as soon as possible — before it’s too late.

What Type of Medical Malpractice Cases Does Gervelis Law Firm Handle?

There are many different types of medical malpractice cases. At our law firm, we have extensive experience handling a wide range, including two common types of cases:

• Birth injuries
• Bile duct injuries

We also handle cases involving defective medical devices and defective drugs. Whatever type of injury or illness you’re dealing with caused by mistakes made by doctors, surgeons, nurses, or other medical professionals, contact our law firm immediately to discover how we can protect your rights.

Who Can Be Liable Under an Ohio Medical Claim?

Under Ohio law, the term “medical claim” is broader than many people realize. The Ohio Revised Code defines a medical claim to include actions against physicians, hospitals, and other licensed healthcare providers arising out of medical diagnosis, care, or treatment. It also includes claims against hospitals and facilities for the acts or omissions of their employees and agents. In short, liability is not limited to a single doctor.

Potentially responsible parties in an Ohio medical claim may include physicians, surgeons, hospitals, outpatient clinics, nurses, certified nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nursing homes, residential care facilities, and other licensed healthcare professionals covered under Ohio’s statutory definition. Multiple providers and institutions may share responsibility for the same injury.

Liability can attach in several ways. First, there may be individual negligence, where a specific provider makes an error in diagnosis, treatment, surgery, prescribing medication, or monitoring a patient’s condition. Second, there may be institutional negligence, such as unsafe staffing levels, poor communication systems, inadequate policies, or failures in supervision that contribute to patient harm. 

Third, vicarious liability may apply, meaning a hospital or facility can be held legally responsible for the actions of its employees or agents when those actions occur within the scope of their employment. Understanding who may be liable is critical because it affects insurance coverage, available compensation, and the overall strength of the claim.

Types of Medical Malpractice Cases We Investigate

Medical malpractice can take many forms. While birth injuries and bile duct injuries are serious examples, they represent only part of the broader range of cases that may qualify as medical claims under Ohio law.

• Misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis is one of the most common categories. This can include missed cancer diagnoses, failure to recognize stroke or heart attack symptoms, or delays in identifying severe infections such as sepsis. When diagnosis is delayed, treatment may also be delayed, which can dramatically worsen outcomes.
• Emergency room errors may involve prolonged wait times without proper triage, failure to order necessary tests, or improper discharge of a patient who is not medically stable. In fast-paced settings, breakdowns in communication can have life-altering consequences.
• Surgical errors can include wrong-site procedures, retained surgical instruments, nerve damage, or unintended injury to organs. Anesthesia errors, such as improper dosing or failure to monitor oxygen levels, can result in catastrophic brain injury or death.
• Medication errors are another major source of harm. These may involve incorrect prescriptions, pharmacy dispensing mistakes, failure to monitor dangerous drug interactions, or improper dosing for vulnerable patients.
• Failure to monitor or respond to a patient’s deterioration is also a frequent issue. Changes in vital signs, abnormal lab results, or worsening symptoms must be recognized and addressed promptly. Delays can lead to preventable complications.
• Lab and radiology failures may involve missed critical findings on imaging studies, delayed communication of abnormal test results, or errors in reporting. Hospital-acquired infections linked to improper sterile technique or inadequate infection control protocols can also give rise to claims.
• Nursing negligence may include patient falls, pressure injuries, medication administration mistakes, or failure to properly chart and escalate concerns to physicians. Each of these scenarios can form the basis of a medical claim when the standard of care is not met and harm results.

These errors can happen at the Cleveland Clinic, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, and elsewhere in Ohio. 

How Can an Ohio Medical Malpractice Attorney Help Me With My Case?

Even though you may have one to four years in Ohio to take legal action against a hospital or doctor responsible for your medical issue or wrongful death, don’t wait until the end of your deadline to take action. Gathering evidence in medical malpractice cases often takes a tremendous amount of time and work. In addition, evidence often disappears over time.

Our experienced Ohio medical malpractice attorneys know how to handle these complicated cases. If you choose to hire us, we can conduct a thorough investigation of your case and gather evidence that proves that negligent health care professionals are legally responsible for your injuries or illness.

We will seek full compensation for your family. But your case is about more than just money. It’s about holding medical professionals accountable. It’s about making sure such mistakes never happen again. It’s about justice.

Birth Injuries

Birth injuries can be devastating for families. Worst of all, many birth injuries occur due to mistakes made by medical professionals. Sometimes, the injuries occur during the mother’s pregnancy. Other times, the injuries happen during the birth of the child. In certain circumstances, newborn children can sustain serious, life-altering injuries shortly after birth while being cared for in a hospital.

Whatever the circumstances of your child’s birth injury, make sure you take steps to protect your rights. Make sure you contact the Gervelis Law Firm. Our Ohio birth injury lawyers have years of experience handling complex cases. We know how to investigate birth injuries, know what evidence to look for, and how to build the strongest possible legal case.

Many doctors and hospitals offer a settlement to us once they see all the evidence that we have collected in support of birth injury claims. If they refuse to do the right thing, we’ll be prepared to take them to court to pursue the financial compensation you need and deserve. We don’t back down in the face of injustice. That’s the Gervelis way. That’s why you can count on us.

Bile Duct Injuries

Have you or a loved one suffered a bile duct injury during gallbladder surgery? These injuries and the complications that arise from them can be serious and even lead to death in some cases. Often, bile duct injuries are the result of surgical errors that could have been prevented.

A bile duct injury must be addressed immediately. Otherwise, such an untreated injury can lead to bile duct stricture, a medical term used to describe when scars form and cause the bile duct to narrow. The bile is then unable to drain into the intestine. Such a medical condition can lead to serious or even life-threatening complications.

Gallbladder surgery is among the most common abdominal surgeries. In the past, gallbladder surgery was performed by hand. Surgeons were able to manually feel the location of the bile duct in order to avoid damaging it. 

These surgeries, commonly known as laparoscopic cholecystectomy, are now often performed using small, camera-guided instruments. Sometimes, the cameras may not clearly reveal the location of the bile duct. As a result, the bile duct can sometimes be damaged, and the damage may go unnoticed and unrepaired.

Symptoms of bile duct damage and stricture include pain, nausea, fever, and jaundice. Left untreated, these serious side effects can become life-threatening. If you or a loved one has experienced any of these symptoms following a gallbladder procedure or you have already been diagnosed with a bile duct injury, contact our law firm immediately. 

We want to learn all about your case and discuss all the legal options available to you, including possibly filing a medical malpractice claim.

Why You Should Hire a Medical Malpractice Lawyer 

Medical errors can lead to serious setbacks and hardships. One study found that nearly 800,000 Americans suffer a fatal or serious injury every year due to diagnostic errors. Anywhere from 40,000 to 4 million deaths can be attributed to medical errors or medical negligence in this country in a given year. If you were injured by a healthcare provider, you should hire a medical malpractice lawyer who understands medical malpractice laws. 

With support from a medical malpractice attorney, you can be compensated according to Ohio’s medical malpractice laws. Support from an Ohio medical malpractice attorney can prove critical when it comes to securing a fair settlement that accounts for the harm you suffered. An attorney can gather evidence, document your injuries, and pursue compensation while you focus on resting and recovering. 

FAQs

Q: What Is the Average Medical Malpractice Settlement in Ohio? 

A: The settlement you receive from a medical malpractice claim depends on the strength of the evidence and your attorney’s ability to prove liability and fault. There is no readily available “average” for a medical malpractice claim because every case is determined by unique factors. Medical malpractice claims can lead to considerable compensation, especially when you work with an experienced injury lawyer. 

Q: What Are the Odds of Winning a Medical Malpractice Claim?

A: The odds of winning a medical malpractice claim can be strong when you work with an experienced injury lawyer. The likelihood of success depends on the facts of the case and whether there is clear evidence that the provider breached the standard of care. Medical malpractice cases are often complex and require skillful support. When liability is well documented and causation is clearly established, the chances of a favorable outcome increase.

Q: What Are Five Examples of Medical Malpractice?

A: Common examples of medical malpractice include surgical errors, misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis, birth injuries caused by improper monitoring, medication or dosage errors, and failure to obtain informed consent before a procedure. Each case depends on whether the provider’s actions fell below accepted medical standards.

Q: What Are the Four Things That Must Be Proven to Win a Medical Malpractice Claim?

A: To succeed in a medical malpractice claim, four elements must be established: duty, breach, causation, and damages. The provider must have owed a duty of care to the patient. There must be evidence that the provider breached that duty by failing to meet the standard of care. You can work with an attorney to show that this breach directly caused the injury, resulting in measurable damages.

Gervelis Law Firm — Righting Wrongs, One Medical Malpractice Case at a Time

Diagnostic errors can have devastating consequences for patients and families. When a health care provider fails to correctly diagnose a condition in a timely manner, what should have been treatable can become much worse, leading to unnecessary suffering, delayed care, irreversible harm, or even death. 

These mistakes affect not just physical health, but emotional well-being and financial stability as well. If you or a loved one has experienced serious harm because of a missed or incorrect diagnosis, you may be entitled to compensation. Our experienced medical malpractice attorney can review your case and pursue the fair compensation you deserve while you focus on healing. Contact our office today.