Being injured or becoming seriously ill due to your doctor’s misconduct can be an immensely upsetting experience, regardless of how the misconduct took place or what you were seeking treatment for. While money alone cannot remedy every negative effect that medical negligence may have on your life, civil restitution can be key to protecting your long-term interests despite the harm you have unfairly sustained.
Recoverable damages in Harrisburg medical malpractice cases can include both objective financial losses and subjective personal ones. The steps and factors involved in valuing each of these damages can vary depending on the circumstances. What is the same with every medical malpractice claim is the importance of having support from a skilled attorney throughout the entire legal process.
Recovering for All Losses Caused by Medical Negligence
The two categories of losses described above are more often referred to in a legal context as economic damages and non-economic damages, or alternately, special damages and general damages. Civil recovery for economic damages includes the costs of additional medical care made necessary by the medical malpractice, lost work income, lost future earning capacity, and any other out-of-pocket expenses related to the plaintiff’s injuries—for instance, the cost of buying a wheelchair and installing wheelchair ramps in a private home.
Recovery for non-economic damages in Harrisburg medical negligence lawsuits generally focuses on the physical pain and suffering a plaintiff experiences as a direct result of their new or worsened injury or illness. It is also possible—and, in cases involving long-term or permanent disability, crucial—to account for various forms of emotional and psychological anguish. In addition, you can seek recovery in advance for the decline in overall quality of life that a malpractice injury can reasonably be expected to cause.
Are There Caps on Recovery Through Malpractice Claims?
Assigning a fair financial value to compensable losses during medical misconduct litigation in Harrisburg works differently for each type of loss. For instance, determining how much reimbursement you need for medical bills may be as simple as presenting bills and invoices for treatment already rendered. However, if you will need long-term rehabilitative or maintenance care, you will need to estimate the value of those future bills in advance.
Fortunately, Pennsylvania differs from many other states in that it does not impose caps, or artificial limits set by state statute, on the total amount of money someone can demand in a medical malpractice claim. This can be especially important when it comes to seeking comprehensive recovery for the physical and mental impact of a permanently disabling or disfiguring injury.
Contact a Harrisburg Attorney To Answer Questions About Compensation in Medical Malpractice Cases
Medical malpractice can alter the course of your life suddenly and usually without having had a reason to suspect you could be harmed. State law protects medical professionals from civil liability for malpractice to a much greater degree than it protects the average person from being held at fault for something such as a car crash, so it can be difficult to recover fairly for damages in Harrisburg medical malpractice cases even if you have very strong grounds to file suit.
That is why you should make contacting a capable legal professional from Lowenthal & Abrams your top priority after a doctor’s misconduct injured you. Call today to set up a confidential consultation.