Medical Malpractice Lawyers

Handling Cases Throughout Georgia

Medical malpractice, also known as medical negligence, kills over 100,000 people each year according to recent statistics. These figures may actually be low as the result of under-reporting of errors. Survivors can be permanently disabled or suffer with a drastically reduced quality of life. If you or a loved one has been the victim of medical malpractice, you will need a lawyer who knows medical malpractice law and practice. As  a board-certified medical malpractice attorney with over 30 years of hands-on experience, Wayne Grant has personally helped countless individuals and families recover the compensation that they need and deserve when malpractice has been committed.

Recognizing Medical Malpractice

Sometimes, medical malpractice is obvious. Surgical errors, such as removal of the wrong limb or organ leave no question that an inexcusable mistake was made and the victim has suffered irreparable and avoidable harm. Some malpractice is much more subtle, and victims may not even be aware of the problem right away.

It can be very difficult to distinguish malpractice from an unavoidable negative outcome. For instance, all surgery carries inherent risks, and some patients may die during or as a result of surgery even if the surgeon, the anesthesiologist, and everyone else involved does his or her job properly. On the other hand, anesthesia error, failure to fully consider a patient’s medical history, and other medical negligence can lead to death or serious injury, and the patient or the patient’s family may never be told about the mistake that caused the problem.

A negative outcome does not always mean malpractice was involved. Some illnesses are incurable. Some injuries and events, such as heart attack or stroke, will have a catastrophic or fatal outcome no matter how excellent the medical care. On the other hand, there are many conditions, that if diagnosed and treated in a timely basis, are curable, making aggravated injury or death avoidable.

Medical malpractice occurs when a doctor or any health care professional acts beneath the standard of care that any other health care professional would have used in the same situation. The standard of care under Georgia law requires doctors and other providers to provide reasonable and prudent care. Boiling this down to basics, a doctor or health care provider may never needless endanger a patient. When there are alternative choices to be made regarding testing or treatment, the safest course must always be selected. Without an understanding of what the “standard of care” requires, many patients and family members will unknowingly become victims of medical malpractice.

An experienced medical malpractice attorney knows how to investigate your case to determine if you were the victim of negligence or substandard care.

Responsible Parties in Medical Malpractice

Doctors are not the only ones who can commit or be held responsible for medical malpractice. Other health care professionals, health care facilities and drug makers are among those who may be responsible for medical injuries. One case of medical malpractice can have multiple responsible parties. Responsible parties in a medical malpractice lawsuit can include:

• Doctors
• Nurses
• Emergency room staff
• Surgeons
• Anesthesiologists
• Psychiatrists
• Pharmacists
• Emergency medical technicians
• Physician Assistants (P.A.)
• Certified Nurse Practitioners
• Hospitals
• Nursing homes
• Government institutions
• Pharmaceutical companies

If you suspect that you or a family member have been affected by medical malpractice, please contact us today. We handle medical malpractice cases on a contingency fee basis. The State Bar of Georgia requires the following prominently displayed disclaimer regarding contingent attorney fees:

“Contingent attorneys’ fees refers only to those fees charged by attorneys for their legal services. Such fees are not permitted in all types of cases. Court costs and other additional expenses of legal action usually must be paid by the client.”

Our firm charges a reasonable percentage of the recovery if we win the case or obtain a settlement. If there is no recovery, you will not owe us an attorney’s fee. If we represent you in a medical malpractice case, we will also advance all court costs and other expenses necessary to pursue the case.  If we obtain a recovery, we will be reimbursed for the advanced expenses from the recovery, but if there is no recovery, you will not owe us anything for the expenses or for attorney’s fees.