As medical malpractice attorneys, we have seen just how damaging medical negligence can be. We make it our job to represent injury victims to the best of our ability—helping them hold the responsible party accountable for what happened, and making sure they get as much compensation as possible for their injuries.
If you or someone you care for has been injured due to medical malpractice, know that you are not alone. We are here to listen to your story and help you pursue a medical malpractice case.
When we examine a potential case, there are several things that we look for. These include:
When it comes to medical malpractice, there needs to be a clear indication of negligence. In medical malpractice claims, we look to see if the doctor or other care provider failed to meet the “standard of care.” The standard of care is the standard that a medical care provider is expected to meet for every patient. For instance, if a doctor failed to ask you about allergies before administering treatment—something he or she does for every patient—and you were injured as a result, the doctor failed to meet the standard of care.
The medical care provider’s negligence needs to have caused you an injury for you to have a potential case. Because medical malpractice cases are difficult and expensive to pursue, the injury suffered typically needs to be significant to justify a case. Birth injuries, surgical errors, medication errors, and other serious injuries are usually the basis for medical malpractice cases.
Our firm takes on a range of medical malpractice cases including:
When you entrust your loved one to a nursing home, you expect the staff to treat him or her with respect. You also expect them to provide appropriate medical care. But as many families have discovered, not all nursing homes treat their patients right. Nursing home neglect can lead to serious injuries and can sometimes be fatal.
A surgeon and his or her team should maintain the highest standards. Many surgical patients have discovered, though, that surgeons are still human—and capable of making careless and serious mistakes. Surgical errors can include causing damage to surrounding tissues and performing the wrong procedure on a patient.
Getting a cancer diagnosis late is awful: you lose valuable time to get the medical care you need to fight the disease. There are a number of mistakes a doctor can make that can lead to a delayed diagnosis, including performing the wrong tests. A delayed cancer diagnosis can often be the basis for a medical malpractice case.
Medical care providers are trained to recognize the signs of infection and to treat those infections. But as with many other medical malpractice issues, sometimes care providers do not do their job the way they should. And with infections, the problem can quickly become difficult or impossible to manage.
Discovering that your medical care provider was negligent and caused your newborn injury can be devastating. Birth injuries can often lead to lifelong complications for your child. Some of the most damaging birth injuries include cerebral palsy and Erb’s palsy. Our firm has extensive experience with both types of cases.
One of the most well-known and disturbing surgical mistakes is leaving foreign objects inside of patients. Leaving surgical sponges inside of a patient can cause serious issues later on, and it may take time to identify the source of the problem. If you are a victim of this type of malpractice, please contact our team today!
Medication errors can be caused by mistakes made at all stages of prescribing and administering medication. Unfortunately, some medication errors can continue for some time before the issue is identified. Taking/receiving the wrong medication can cause significant injury.
Other forms of medical malpractice that exist include fertility mixup, dental accidents, stroke misdiagnosis, poor prenatal care, and disease misdiagnosis.
CASE 1: FAILURE TO DIAGNOSE LEADS TO $950K RECOVERY
Donny Motts had no reason to doubt the doctors when they told him that ear tubes would resolve his son’s inner ear infection. After all, tubes are common for young children and can be inserted in a relatively simple procedure. However, Mr. Motts, of Bridgeport, Connecticut, realized something was wrong when his son’s ear pains persisted even after the tubes were put in.
The incident happened in late 2012. What had started as seemingly normal childhood ear pain has now turned into a persistent condition that sometimes causes numbness, migraines, and even seizures. Earlier this year, the family received a settlement against the doctors and their hospital for their misdiagnosis of their son’s conditions.
Mr. Motts and his wife first took their son to his pediatrician in Bridgeport, who then referred them to osteopathic specialists. The specialist diagnosed the problem quickly and performed the tubal procedure. However, the boy’s pain continued. In several follow-up visits, the specialist’s team reassured them that the tubes would work in time.
However, the issue took a dangerous turn when the boy developed a fever, stiff neck, and severe headaches. A visit to the emergency room showed that he had meningitis, which was caused by a bacterial infection in his ears. Doctors prescribed medication to clear the infection, but it wasn’t in time to prevent some serious and possibly permanent damage. In addition to suffering meningitis, the boy had also suffered cerebral oedema, which causes fluid to leak into the brain. As a result, he now has frequent headaches, fevers, and sometimes seizures.
$950,000
The family filed suit and The Haymond Law Firm established that the specialists were negligent in their misdiagnosis of the boy’s condition. The evidence showed that the doctor had done only a cursory examination and assumed tubes were needed when, in fact, a more thorough exam would have shown that bacteria were present. The boy and his family were happy to receive the compensation and plan on using it to help him get therapy to control his pain and seizures.
CASE 2: MISDIAGNOSIS BY TWO DOCTORS GIVES WAY TO $800K SETTLEMENT
Miss Elaine Nelson, at age 38, began experiencing persistent headaches and blurred vision. She sought treatment from an optometrist and ophthalmologist. Despite numerous visits and her growing concerns, Miss Nelson was constantly reassured that nothing was wrong…she just needed new glasses.
Unsatisfied with this diagnosis, Miss Nelson consulted with a third doctor who in turn referred her to a doctor of neurology. The neurologist discovered that Miss Nelson’s concerns were justified; in fact, she had a brain tumor compressing the nerve to her right eye.
$800,000
A Connecticut Medical Malpractice Attorney from the Haymond Law Firm sued the optometrist and first ophthalmologist for medical malpractice based on their failure to properly diagnose her symptoms. Mediation on the claim against the optometrist, thanks to the Attorney’s persuasiveness, resulted in a large award to Miss Nelson. The Attorney is still pursuing Miss Nelson’s lawsuit against the ophthalmologist for the delay she caused by not sending Miss Nelson to a neurologist sooner.
CASE 3: MULTIPLE SURGERIES AND 100+ DAYS IN HOSPITAL RESULT IN $3.5M
After Dean Taylor’s appendix ruptured, he required emergency surgery.
The wrong sutures were used, and he consequently needed a second operation. During the second operation, his intestine was punctured, resulting in the need for two additional surgeries. By the end of the last surgery, Mr. Taylor had spent 131 days in the hospital and was left with permanent disfigurement. The doctors repeatedly denied any fault for what happened.
$3,500,000
A Connecticut Medical Malpractice Attorney from the Haymond Law Firm disagreed and took the matter to trial.
CASE 4: YOUNG GIRL SUFFERS REPEATED MISDIAGNOSIS, FULL YEAR OF SCHOOL LOST
A young 10-year-old girl was taken to the hospital with seizure-like symptoms, frequent urination, excessive thirst and blurred vision. The doctor treating her ordered several tests, including a complete CBC workup and blood glucose test. The initial tests came back showing the girl’s blood glucose levels were over 300 and that her insulin levels were dramatically lower than normal.
The other tests the doctor ordered were not back from before the doctor rendered a diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes. While preliminary tests suggested diabetes, the doctor needed the final set of test results to make an accurate and complete diagnosis.
His decision to treat the girl with Type 2 diabetes created extreme fluctuations in her blood glucose levels. After she was finally stabilized, she was sent home with specific instructions to closely monitor her blood glucose levels, watch her diet and begin a treatment plan that included insulin medication in pill form.
Over the next few days, the girl was back in the emergency room several times suffering from seizure-like symptoms. The tests taken during her first visit had arrived and the on-call emergency physician changed the diagnosis from Type 2 to Type 1 or Juvenile onset diabetes. Because of the improper administration of insulin by the previous ER doctor, the current physician could not get the girls’ blood glucose levels to stabilize. She was kept in the hospital for 17 days due to severe complications.
The resulting hospital stay and deterioration of the girls’ overall health caused her to miss almost 33 days of school. There was no way for the work to be made up at such a late date, so the choice was made to hold her back in the 5th grade for the second year. The girl’s total recovery time was over 6 months.
$750,000
The Haymond Law firm represented the girls’ family from New Haven, CT in court, gaining them money for compensatory damages. Although her injuries were not life-threatening, they did have a dramatic impact on her mental and emotional well-being.
CASE 5: A BREACH IN PROTOCOL LEADS TO A LIFETIME OF SUFFERING
After a long and difficult birth, Emily Roberts was placed in a hospital’s nursery. Unfortunately, the nurse in charge left for a dinner break without a replacement, resulting in no coverage for a short period of time.
Tragically, during that period of time, baby Emily had trouble breathing and suffered permanent irreversible injuries.
$2,000,000
Emily’s family came to their Connecticut Medical Malpractice Attorney at the Haymond Law Firm for help. The suit was filed against the nurses and the hospital. A large settlement was obtained for the family.
Haymond Law has worked with victims of all types of medical malpractice accidents. We are skilled at investigating accidents to determine the cause, and we know how to demonstrate the facts to the court. Whatever the cause of your accident, please contact us to learn more about how we can help you prove negligence.
Read more of our medical malpractice accident case facts and results.
No two medical malpractice cases are alike, and each is valued on its own individual merits.
While it’s difficult to predetermine exactly how much you could be awarded, your medical malpractice lawyer at the Haymond Law Firm will thoroughly analyze all aspects of your case before deciding upon what’s considered a reasonable amount.
These factors include:
If you or a loved one has been harmed due to medical malpractice in Connecticut, we encourage you to contact us. There is no charge to you unless we win, so please don’t hesitate to fill out our contact form or give us a call. Let us help you get the compensation you need and deserve.