When you’re involved in a medical malpractice case, you may struggle to deal with the long-term impacts of poor care at the hands of a doctor, nurse, or medical facility.
At The Robert Pahlke Law Group, we have extensive experience with a wide range of personal injury cases, including medical malpractice. From cases of negligence in medical care facilities to physician mistakes and misdiagnoses that have cost our clients years of their lives, we have worked to get our clients the help and compensation they deserve. We’ve recovered millions of dollars in settlements and judgments for clients who put their trust in us.
If you suffered from medical malpractice in Nebraska, you may need an attorney to support you while you navigate the difficult claims process. Contact us today at (308) 633-4444 to learn more about how we can help you through this difficult process.
Recovery in Nebraska Medical Malpractice Cases
Following your medical malpractice event, you may recover many types of damages:
Pain and suffering. When most people think of medical malpractice lawsuits, this is what they’re thinking about: Funds that will cover the pain and suffering they experienced as a result of their injuries or losses. Pain and suffering is often based on various considerations, which may include:
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- Suffering: The amount of suffering that occurred as a result of the malpractice. Did you suffer an injury, including bed sores or unnecessary surgeries, as a result of medical malpractice?
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- The duration of the suffering. Did you suffer for years with an incorrect diagnosis for your symptoms? Did that cause permanent suffering?
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- Pain: The physical pain you suffer as a result of the negligence of a health care provider is another element of damages you may recover. Is the pain permanent? What is the character of the pain? Sharp/shooting? Dull/aching? Throbbing?
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- Disability: Did you experience temporary disability? Permanent disability as a result of medical malpractice? If so, Nebraska law may entitle you to additional damages.
- Life care plan: The expenses made necessary because of your injuries may be recoverable. For example, if you experienced long-term or permanent disabilities as a result of medical malpractice, you may need to make significant alterations to your home, you may need a special van, you may need medical appliances and home services to compensate for your injuries.
Medical costs. When you suffer from medical malpractice, you shouldn’t pay for necessary medical treatments for your injuries. Medical costs may include:
- Repayment for medical bills for improperly performed treatments. If your surgery failed to correct the problems you were having due to negligence or malice on the part of a doctor, for example, you shouldn’t bear responsibility for those bills. The added medical costs you had to incur because of a careless diagnosis may ultimately be the responsibility of the careless doctor who got it wrong.
- Payment for medical bills that you incurred as a result of an incorrect diagnosis when that diagnosis falls below the standard of care. For example, if you received expensive medications or treatments for a disease that you didn’t have, you may recover compensation for those expenses. Or worse yet, you had an organ or limb removed because on an incorrect diagnosis.
- Payment for future treatments. Will you end up needing future medical treatments for injuries or complications acquired due to medical malpractice? If so, the settlement or verdict should include payment for those treatments.
- Payment for long-term or ongoing medical care. Ongoing medical care may include the need to receive care in a facility or the need for help at home to improve your overall quality of life after your injuries.
Funeral and burial expenses. When a loved one dies as a result of medical malpractice, you may recover funeral and burial expenses as part of your settlement or verdict.
Lost income or earning potential. When you suffer from medical malpractice, you may require hospitalization or otherwise lose work while you recover. If you temporarily lose work, you may recover some of the income lost as a result. If you suffered a chronic disability and permanently lost income, you may recover compensation for lost earning potential based on the amount that you were able to earn before your injuries.
We Know What the Defense Is Thinking
Most medical facilities and doctors carry insurance to help protect them in the event of medical malpractice cases. These insurance companies may deploy several common tactics to try to get out of paying the compensation you need to fully recover.
- Limiting the assessment of your injuries. During your medical evaluations, doctors may attempt to prove that you weren’t injured as badly as you claim.
- Denying liability. The insurance company may attempt to prove that the doctor or facility it covers isn’t responsible for your injuries. It may claim, for example, that you failed to follow medical advice, or your suffering is a result of your initial illness or injury.
- Providing a low settlement offer that doesn’t reflect the amount you’re owed. You may receive this offer too early to know the full costs of your injuries.
- Blaming you for your injuries or blaming others.
- Claiming you failed to do what you could to minimize your injuries.
Working with a lawyer is one of the most effective ways to smooth out the claims process. A lawyer can help establish liability and the damages that you should recover for your injuries, help prevent you from accepting a settlement offer that won’t cover your needs, negotiate with insurance companies on your behalf, and take the case to court if needed.
Get the Legal Help You Need After Your Medical Malpractice Injury
When you work with The Robert Pahlke Law Group, we’ll start with a free consultation to better understand how you incurred your injury, who bears responsibility for your injuries, and how those injuries have damaged your life. In many cases, we accept clients on a contingent fee basis—that is, our fees come out of the amount of your settlement or judgment, rather than you paying us up front. If we don’t secure a settlement or judgment for you, we don’t get paid.
If you were injured as a result of medical malpractice, don’t wait to get the legal help you need. Contact The Robert Pahlke Law Group online or call today at (308) 633-4444 to set up your free consultation or to learn more about how we can help you.
Client Testimonial
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March 2020
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