Were you a victim of medical negligence in Ladue, Missouri? Schultz & Myers Personal Injury Lawyers can help when you contact us at (314) 444-4444. We offer a free consultation with a Ladue medical malpractice lawyer who will review your case and help you pursue full compensation for your injuries, medical bills, and lost income.
Medical malpractice claims can be complex and emotionally overwhelming, but you don’t have to face them alone. Our team is here to guide you through every step of the process and fight for the justice you deserve. Call today to schedule your free consultation.
Why Should I Call Schultz & Myers Personal Injury Lawyers for Help With a Medical Malpractice Claim in Ladue?
If you’ve been harmed by a medical error in Ladue, Missouri, the team at Schultz & Myers Personal Injury Lawyers is ready to help. With decades of experience and a reputation for strong results, we’ve earned the trust of injured clients throughout the region.
Here’s what sets our firm apart:
- Our attorneys bring over 100 years of combined legal experience handling serious injury cases.
- Since our opening, we’ve recovered more than $100 million for injured clients across Missouri.
- We’ve been recognized by respected legal organizations, including National Trial Lawyers’ “Top 100,” Super Lawyers, Best Lawyers in America, and the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum.
- Our legal team is always prepared to go to trial when necessary, giving us leverage in negotiations with insurance companies.
- We fight to hold negligent healthcare providers fully accountable, and we treat every case with the seriousness it deserves.
If you need help, call today to schedule your free consultation with a Ladue personal injury attorney.
How Do I Know Whether I Have a Valid Medical Malpractice Case in Ladue?
All healthcare professionals must adhere to certain standards. The standard of care varies from situation to situation. Broadly speaking, medical providers must provide the level of treatment that a reasonable, trained healthcare professional would provide under similar circumstances.
The standard is one of “reasonableness” under the circumstances. The basic standard of care is actually developed within the medical community itself. It depends on:
- The nature of the patient’s medical condition
- The patient’s medical history, age, and general health
- The medical provider’s role
- In some cases, geographic location
In reality, most medical malpractice victims don’t know whether they have a valid case until they consult an attorney. The practice of medicine is complex. Sometimes, bad outcomes occur even when a doctor exercises the utmost care.
Our Ladue medical malpractice attorneys can help by evaluating your situation and explaining your legal options during a free case review.
Our Attorneys Handle All Types of Medical Malpractice Claims in Ladue
Our lawyers are prepared to handle any type of medical negligence claim, including those involving:
- Misdiagnosis, delayed diagnosis, or failure to diagnose
- Surgical errors, including wrong-site surgeries or leaving surgical equipment in the patient’s body
- Anesthesia errors made during surgeries or procedures
- Medication errors, including administering the wrong drug or dosage, or failure to recognize adverse drug interactions
- Emergency room errors
- Nursing negligence
- Hospital negligence
- Radiology errors, including lab mixups
- Errors among general practitioners, including failure to refer to a specialist
- Birth injuries, including delayed C-section, failure to monitor, or improper use of instruments
- Administrative errors
If you suspect that your healthcare provider made an error that harmed you, don’t wait to consult a lawyer. The sooner we start searching for evidence to prove what occurred, the better.
How Much Money Is My Ladue Medical Malpractice Case Worth?
The value of your case depends entirely on the facts. Factors that are relevant in nearly every case include:
- The nature and permanence of the harm you have suffered
- The expenses and medical treatment costs you’ve incurred due to the mistake
- The additional pain, suffering, and trauma you have endured
- How the error has impacted your earnings
- How the error is expected to impact your future
- Anticipated future medical and treatment needs
- The nature of the at-fault doctor’s mistake
Ultimately, every life change you have experienced will impact your case value. That includes physical suffering, mental trauma, and financial loss. All current and projected future losses must be factored in if you’re to receive a full compensation award.
What Types of Damages Are Available to Medical Malpractice Victims in Ladue?
If your case is successful, any economic damages and non-economic damages you have experienced should be included in your compensation award.
“Economic damages” are monetary expenses caused by the mistake, such as:
- Increased medical expenses
- Rehabilitation and therapy
- Lost wages
- Reduced earning potential
- Out-of-pocket expenses, including travel, transportation, in-home assistance, etc.
The law also recognizes that the impact of a medical error is far more wide-reaching than mere financial loss. The personal losses you experience can change your life forever. Some consequences can never be “undone” with money.
These are your non-economic damages, which may include:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Anxiety
- Depression
- PTSD
- Diminished quality of life
- Physical disfigurement and scarring
- Loss of consortium
You have only one chance to recover compensation that accounts for all of your losses. When you hire our lawyers, you’re hiring a team with experience handling cases like yours before. We can help you identify every loss you have endured–and work to establish their value.
How Much Does It Cost To Hire a Medical Malpractice Lawyer in Missouri?
We deduct our attorneys’ fees directly from your settlement or verdict. You’ll never be responsible for upfront expenses. Instead, you’ll agree to pay a set percentage of the amount we recover for you.
This structure is known as a contingency fee arrangement. It’s the most common type of fee structure for personal injury and medical malpractice lawyers. With contingency fees, victims can obtain experienced legal representation without worrying about the cost.
What Causes Most Medical Errors in Ladue?
Medical mistakes occur for many different reasons, with negligence typically being the root cause. Some common causes of medical mistakes include:
- Communication failures
- Mistakes in charting
- Overworked and exhausted healthcare providers
- Inexperienced medical providers
- Failure to properly train and supervise less experienced providers
- Failure to obtain a full medical history
- Misreading lab results
- Patient mix-ups
- Ignoring or failing to recognize a patient’s symptoms
- Failure to adequately monitor a patient before, during, and after procedures and surgeries
- Failure to provide proper post-operative instructions
- Failure to refer a patient to a specialist when needed
- Failure to obtain the patient’s informed consent
- Unsanitary conditions
- Drug or alcohol use
Even what seems like a simple mistake can have devastating consequences for a patient.
What Do I Have To Prove To Win a Medical Malpractice Case in Missouri?
As in any personal injury case, the victim has the burden of proving the defendant is liable for their damages.
To succeed, you must prove:
- You were the defendant’s patient, so they owed you a legal duty of care
- They breached the duty of care by failing to adhere to the medical standard of care
- That failure caused you to suffer some type of harm
- The nature of the damages you sustained as a result
Expert testimony is required in all Missouri medical malpractice cases. Before your case can proceed, you must submit an affidavit from a medical professional.
That expert must state that the defendant “failed to use such care as a reasonably prudent and careful health care provider would have under similar circumstances” and that failure caused or contributed to your damages.
How Long Do I Have To File a Medical Malpractice Lawsuit After a Medical Error in Missouri?
Medical malpractice claims in Missouri are subject to a two-year statute of limitations. Most often, victims must file a lawsuit within two years of the date the injury occurred.
Three key exceptions exist:
- The victim was a minor
- A foreign object was left in the victim’s body
- The case involved a doctor’s failure to inform the victim of medical test results
Minor children have until their 20th birthday to pursue compensation. Of course, a parent has the right to pursue compensation on behalf of their child within the otherwise applicable timeframe.
In cases involving foreign objects and failure to inform, the victim has two years from the date they learn about the mistake, or reasonably should have learned about the mistake, to take legal action.
What Is the Statute of Repose in Missouri Medical Negligence Cases?
In Missouri, medical malpractice lawsuits are subject to a ten-year statute of repose. This law sets an absolute deadline for filing a claim—regardless of when the injury is discovered. The ten-year period begins on the date the medical error or negligent act occurred, not when the harm was identified.
This means that even if an exception, such as the discovery rule or fraudulent concealment, might extend the statute of limitations, no medical malpractice case can be filed more than ten years after the error itself.
Contact an Experienced Ladue Medical Malpractice Lawyer for a Free Consultation
The consequences of a medical error in Ladue, MO, can haunt you for the rest of your life. Our team at Schultz & Myers Personal Injury Lawyers is here to help you hold the negligent doctor accountable.
Contact us today to learn how an experienced Ladue medical malpractice lawyer will fight for you.
