Waterbury Medical Malpractice Attorney

When you place your life in the hands of a medical professional, you expect competent care that follows established protocols and prioritizes your well-being. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Medical malpractice occurs when healthcare providers deviate from accepted standards of care, causing preventable harm through negligent actions or omissions. 

Lynch, Traub, Keefe & Errante brings seven decades of courtroom experience and trial advocacy to fight for victims of medical negligence in Waterbury and throughout Connecticut. Our firm has secured substantial recoveries for clients who suffered at the hands of negligent healthcare providers. If you believe medical negligence has harmed you or your loved one, contact our Waterbury personal injury lawyers today for a free consultation to explore your legal options.

Common Types of Medical Errors Leading to Malpractice Lawsuits

Healthcare professionals must adhere to established medical standards of care, which represent the level of skill, care, and treatment that similarly trained professionals would provide under comparable circumstances. When doctors, nurses, hospitals, or other medical providers fall below these standards and cause patient harm, they may be held liable for medical malpractice.

Various types of medical errors can form the basis of a malpractice claim:

• Misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis: Failing to correctly identify a condition or unreasonably delaying diagnosis can allow diseases to progress unnecessarily, reducing treatment options and worsening patient outcomes.
• Surgical errors: Wrong-site surgery, leaving instruments inside patients, damaging organs or nerves, or performing unnecessary procedures can cause severe complications and permanent disabilities.
• Medication mistakes: Prescribing wrong medications, incorrect dosages, or failing to identify dangerous drug interactions can result in adverse reactions, overdoses, or treatment failures.
• Birth injuries: Improper prenatal care, failure to monitor fetal distress, misuse of delivery instruments, or delayed C-sections can cause both mother and baby to suffer from serious complications.
• Failure to obtain informed consent: Patients must be informed of risks, benefits, and alternatives before procedures; proceeding without proper consent is an act of malpractice.
• Hospital-acquired infections: Poor sanitation, inadequate sterilization, or failure to follow infection control protocols can lead to preventable infections.
• Emergency room errors: Overcrowding, inadequate staffing, or rushed decisions in emergency settings can result in missed diagnoses or improper treatment.

Why Medical Malpractice Cases Require Experienced Legal Counsel

Medical malpractice litigation represents one of the most complex areas of personal injury law, requiring knowledge of both legal principles and medical science. These cases demand extensive investigation, expert witness testimony, and thorough preparation to succeed against well-funded healthcare defendants.

At Lynch, Traub, Keefe & Errante, our 70 years of experience provide us with the tools necessary to build compelling cases against negligent healthcare providers. We work with qualified medical experts who can explain complex procedures to juries and demonstrate how defendants deviated from accepted standards of care. We have established relationships with credible experts across various specialties who are willing to testify on your behalf.

Defense attorneys may argue that pre-existing conditions or other factors caused your injuries rather than their client’s negligence. Our firm knows how to work with medical experts to establish clear causal connections between negligent care and resulting harm. We also have experience handling cases where multiple healthcare providers share responsibility, and we will work to hold all negligent parties accountable for their contributions to your injuries.

How to Prove Negligence in Your Waterbury Medical Malpractice Claim

To win a medical malpractice case, you must demonstrate that the healthcare provider’s negligence directly caused your injuries. This involves establishing four specific legal elements, which form the foundation of your case:

• Duty of care: A doctor-patient relationship existed, creating a legal obligation to provide competent medical care according to accepted standards.
• Breach of duty: The healthcare provider failed to meet the required standard of care through action or inaction.
• Causation: The provider’s breach of duty directly caused your injuries, meaning your harm would not have occurred without the negligent conduct.
• Damages: You suffered harm due to the malpractice, such as physical injuries, additional medical expenses, lost wages, or pain and suffering.

Connecticut’s Medical Malpractice Statute of Limitations

Connecticut law imposes strict time limits for filing medical malpractice lawsuits. You generally have two years from the date you discovered or reasonably should have discovered your injury to file a malpractice claim in Waterbury, CT. However, Connecticut also enforces a statute of repose that prevents lawsuits from being filed more than three years after the negligent act occurred.

If you do not file your claim before the statute of limitations expires, the court will most likely dismiss your case, regardless of how strong it is. This is why you should contact a Waterbury medical malpractice lawyer immediately. Your medical malpractice attorney in Waterbury will evaluate your situation, identify your filing deadline, and help you initiate your claim before it is too late. 

What to Do If You Suspect Your Waterbury Physician Was Negligent

Discovering that medical negligence may have harmed you or your loved one can feel overwhelming. If you find yourself in this situation, you should first seek medical care from another provider or at another facility. Save all of your medical records related to the malpractice and your follow-up care.

Document everything related to your experience, including dates, times, and names of healthcare providers involved in your care. Keep detailed notes about your symptoms, pain levels, and how your condition impacts your daily activities. 

Avoid discussing your suspicions directly with the healthcare providers you believe were negligent, as these conversations could potentially complicate your case. Instead, focus on getting the medical attention you need while preserving evidence of what occurred. 

Once your condition is stable, contact a medical malpractice lawyer in Waterbury as soon as possible. During your consultation, your lawyer will review your medical records, evaluate the strength of your case, and explain your legal options.

Schedule Your Free, Confidential Medical Malpractice Consultation Today

You trusted your doctor to heal you, not harm you. Medical errors shatter that trust and can leave you with permanent disabilities, additional surgeries, and growing healthcare costs. When healthcare providers fail to meet accepted standards of care, Lynch, Traub, Keefe & Errante will make sure that they answer for the consequences. Contact us at (203) 333-3333 and learn how our Waterbury medical malpractice lawyer will pursue the justice and financial recovery you deserve.