Albuquerque Medical Malpractice Lawyer

Dedicated Personal Injury Attorney in Albuquerque

Doctors and other medical care providers sometimes make mistakes. When those mistakes cost you or a loved one dearly, you may be eligible to file a medical malpractice claim. Medical malpractice cases are intended to hold medical care providers accountable for errors that would otherwise have been avoidable if they had exercised the proper care and diligence.

If a medical professional's mistake has caused harm to your health or body, you may be able to receive compensation for your suffering. Ask our experienced Albuquerque medical malpractice attorney to review the details of your personal injury claim.

Cases We Handle

A few types of malpractice cases we represent include:

• Birth Injuries
• Medical Misdiagnosis
• Nurse Errors
• Surgical Errors

What Are Common Forms of Medical Malpractice?

Forms of medical malpractice range from honest mistakes to major, damaging errors that can change the course of a patient’s life. They also tend to produce additional expenses, damage a patient’s health and longevity, and cause a great deal of emotional suffering.

Medical malpractice can take many forms, but the most common ones are:

• Retention of foreign object(s): This occurs when tools and other objects are left inside a patient’s body after surgery. Items commonly left behind include gauze, metal forceps, and needles. These typically cause serious infections, new health problems, worsening of the original medical issue, and exponentially greater medical costs.
• Failure to provide informed consent: This occurs when physicians and other medical professionals do not communicate clearly with patients regarding the details of their condition, related treatments, or the effects of a medication, operation, or other procedure. Without the proper information, a patient cannot provide informed consent to a procedure. When the procedure, operation, or medication regimen is implemented without the patient's knowing approval, it can be considered medical battery.
• Surgical never events: This form of medical error is the most shocking and the most avoidable. Surgical never events involve devastating mistakes, such as performing a hysterectomy on the wrong patient, amputating the wrong body part, or giving a heart transplant to the wrong patient. These typically result from significant oversight, disorganization, and miscommunication by entire teams of medical staff.
• Improper diagnoses and incorrect medications: This one is self-explanatory. One can imagine the unnecessary suffering and costs incurred by a patient who is misdiagnosed and treated for cancer based on an incorrect pregnancy test or a patient who is given blood-thinners intended for someone else.

During a free consultation, we can provide you with an honest assessment of your case. Call (505) 219-2176 or contact us online today.

Building Your Medical Malpractice Case

When you put your life, health, and wellbeing into the hands of a medical professional, you reserve the right to demand quality care. When you receive anything less than attentive, professional medical care and suffer as a result, don’t wait to take legal action.

A strong medical malpractice case aims to identify key moments in your medical care that led directly to your harm. Our skilled Albuquerque medical injury attorney is experienced at evaluating medical injuries and can identify crucial evidence of negligence to build your case.

With our firm, Michael J. Doyle, Attorney at Law, you can expect an attentive, compassionate attorney who represents you with professionalism, passion, and skill.

Contingency Fee Representation

Navigating a medical malpractice claim requires time and an extensive knowledge of the law. We know that you could never afford to hire a lawyer during such a difficult time in your life.

This is why we don't charge you any fees until after we win your case. If we fail to recover anything for you, then you do not pay us. With this arrangement, you know that we are committed to not only helping you win, but to maximizing your recovery.

Medical Malpractice vs. Medical Negligence

The terms “malpractice” and “negligence” are often used inter-changeably in the context of a medical malpractice lawsuit, even though they have slightly different legal meanings.

While any person can commit negligence by failing to consider the safety of others, certain professionals have a heightened level of responsibility towards their clients. For example, a lawyer can commit legal malpractice by committing billing fraud or violating attorney-client privilege.

Because it also takes years of dedicated study and certification to become a doctor, surgeon, or nurse, medical providers are likewise considered to have a higher “duty of care” towards their patients than to the average person. This is why most acts of medical negligence can also be construed as medical malpractice. Your doctor is required to observe a certain standard of care when you are their patient – and failure to observe that standard can make them liable for your losses.

New Mexico Medical Malpractice Damages Cap

Many states choose to place limits or “caps” on the total amount of compensation you can receive in a medical malpractice case. Although most of these caps only apply to non-economic damages – such as pain and suffering – New Mexico places a $600,000 cap on most of the damages for a medical malpractice lawsuit.

There is an exception, however: There is no cap in place for medical care and benefits related to your medical care. In some cases, you may need to seek ongoing care for a permanent injury or disability, which may also be considered part of your medical care and benefits.

However, because New Mexico handles medical malpractice damages in such a unique way, it’s important to seek the counsel of an attorney with experience in this state, so that you can secure maximum compensation for your case.

Providing Personalized, One-on-One Counsel in Albuquerque

We keep you consistently educated about your rights and informed through your case so you are never left in the dark about the progress of your claim.

We understand that both you and your family are under a great deal of stress and we wish to help alleviate some of this stress. Our team has been serving the injured across the community for over 15 years. We are your trusted hometown lawyer who is ready to stand up to medical companies and their team of intimidating defense lawyers.

Feel free to give us a call at (505) 219-2176 to contact Michael J. Doyle, Attorney At Law.