Medical malpractice damages aim to put victims of medical neglect in Harrisburg back into the position they would have been in if the malpractice hadn’t occurred. These are called ‘compensatory damages’. At Marzella & Associates, our dedicated medical malpractice lawyers can help you and your family recover all the damages you’re entitled to from negligent doctors and hospitals such as Hampden Medical Center. Schedule a free and confidential case evaluation by calling us today.
Past and Future Medical Expenses
Most medical negligence cases force claimants to undergo additional and often extensive medical treatments. Malpractice damages may cover all the following past and anticipated medical needs:
- Surgeries
- Specialists
- Medical Transportation
- Physical therapy
- Occupational rehabilitation
- Counseling
- Nursing care
- Household aides
- Medications and medical equipment
- Hospital/long-term care costs
- Cosmetic restoration procedures
You may recover damages even if your health insurer paid these claims. In such cases, experienced medical negligence lawyers can help negotiate down any potential healthcare liens while ensuring you receive the compensation necessary to obtain quality care.
Lost Income & Benefits
Like medical damages, you may recover any lost earnings and business profits caused by the malpractice. These claims may include demands for the value of lost benefits, retirement contributions, promotions, and even earning capacity for the remainder of your work life. Spouses and family members can also recover these damages in wrongful death litigation if they lost spousal support due to medical negligence.
Pain and Suffering (Non-Economic Damages)
Pennsylvania is one of the few states that puts no limit on pain and suffering damages in medical malpractice cases. You may recover damages for the following:
- Physical pain
- Emotional suffering
- Lost enjoyment of life
- Inconvenience
- Frustration
- Loss of spousal companionship
Experienced medical negligence lawyers know that the suffering associated with serious medical mistakes is often worse than the physical injuries.
Punitive Damages
Pennsylvania law allows certain claimants to recover punitive damages in medical malpractice cases. These damages are designed to punish negligent healthcare providers for willful or malicious conduct, such as denying water to a difficult memory care patient or conduct indicating the provider had a reckless indifference to your life and health.
Examples of malpractice supporting punitive awards – pulled from real cases – include operating on patients while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, operating on the wrong patient, leaving surgical scissors inside a patient, and engaging in criminal conduct such as sexual abuse. Harrisburg juries can consider the nature of the act, the extent of your harm, and the provider’s wealth when handing down punitive damage awards.
Legal Help Obtaining Medical Malpractice Damages in Harrisburg
Damages in viable medical malpractice cases generally come from the doctor or hospital’s mandatory medical malpractice insurer, Pennsylvania’s Medical Care Availability and Reduction of Error (MCARE) Fund, or directly from wealthy physicians and private practices.
You can trust the experienced medical negligence attorneys at Marzella & Associates in Harrisburg to fight for all the compensation you and your family deserve. Schedule a free and confidential medical malpractice case evaluation today by calling 717-876-8681 or contact us online.