Are you struggling with serious health issues due to a medical error in Lakeland, Florida? Whether your doctor failed to diagnose a medical condition or made a mistake during surgery, it’s important for you to hold them accountable. Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers can help. You may be entitled to compensation, and our award-winning Lakeland medical malpractice lawyers are ready to help you fight for every cent you deserve.
Since 2001, Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers has helped victims of medical errors in Lakeland stand up to negligent healthcare providers, powerful hospitals, and aggressive insurance companies. As leaders in personal injury litigation in Florida, our top-rated trial attorneys have successfully obtained tens of millions in life-changing monetary awards for clients like you.
Take this time to recover. Focus on your future. Let our respected legal team help you navigate this difficult time in your life. Call us at (863) 251-6196 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation to get started.
How Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help If You’ve Been the Victim of a Medical Error in Lakeland, FL
How do you prove that your doctor was negligent? What evidence will you need to make your case? How can you match the resources of a multi-million dollar hospital or powerful insurance company? How can you know if any settlement offers you receive are fair?
You’ve got enough to worry about right now without the added stress of a medical malpractice lawsuit. That’s where our Lakeland personal injury lawyers can help.
Medical malpractice litigation is notoriously challenging, thanks to tough laws and policies that tend to benefit providers more than injured patients. At Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers, our top-rated litigators have 119+ years of combined experience handling complex cases like yours. Through hard work and determination, we’ve forced negligent providers and hospitals to pay our clients millions to make things right.
When you turn to our law firm for help with your medical malpractice case in Lakeland, FL, you’ll be able to count on us to:
- Consult experts and prepare a pre-suit affidavit to demonstrate the legal basis for your medical malpractice lawsuit
- Thoroughly analyze evidence obtained throughout the discovery process
- Interview members of your medical team, hospital staff, and other parties with information relevant to your case
- Carefully evaluate how the medical error has affected your life and determine what your claim for damages is likely worth
- Prepare and file all claims and documents on your behalf
- Aggressively pursue a top-dollar payout during negotiations with the hospital and its insurance carrier
- Litigate your medical malpractice lawsuit at trial in Polk County, FL, if you don’t get a fair settlement offer
As the victim of a medical error, you’re probably under a lot of financial pressure. Hiring a lawyer shouldn’t add to your stress. That’s why our Lakeland personal injury law firm works on contingency. We only get paid if we win (or settle) your medical malpractice case. End of story.
Contact us today to learn more. We offer a free consultation and are always available to answer your questions – 24/7/365.
We Handle All Types of Lakeland Medical Malpractice Cases
Every year, it’s estimated that between 250,000 and 440,000 people die because of avoidable medical errors. This makes medical negligence the third leading cause of unintentional death in the United States.
Millions more suffer a wide range of injuries and trauma because their healthcare providers make mistakes.
At Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers, we’ve been advocating for victims of medical malpractice and grieving families for decades.
Our experienced litigators represent clients in medical negligence cases involving:
- Misdiagnosis
- Missed diagnosis
- Delayed diagnosis
- Failure to diagnose
- Failure to treat
- Premature discharge
- Wrong site surgery
- Surgical error
- Anesthesia error
- Prescription medication error
- Medical device defect
- Emergency room error
- Birth injury
Whether you’ve suffered injuries or lost a close family member, our team of trusted legal advocates is here to help you make things right. Call our law office in Lakeland, FL, to discuss the details of your medical malpractice lawsuit today.
How Do I Prove Medical Malpractice in Florida?
Medical malpractice is, at its core, all about negligence.
Our doctors and healthcare providers are highly trained professionals. Some have more than a decade of education and training. We trust them to use the skills and knowledge they’ve gained over the years to help us navigate health issues and stay safe.
Unfortunately, sometimes, healthcare providers in Lakeland, FL, make mistakes. These can be due to understaffed hospitals, provider ego, failure to communicate with staff and patients, or a number of other reasons.
When you’re the victim of a medical error in Lakeland, you reserve the right to take legal action. In your legal action, you’ll have the burden of proving your healthcare provider’s negligence.
Duty
You must be able to demonstrate the existence of a doctor-patient relationship. When this relationship exists, your doctor assumes a duty of care in treating you.
In Florida, the standard of care expected of medical professionals is the “ level of care, skill, and treatment which, in light of all relevant surrounding circumstances, is recognized as acceptable and appropriate by reasonably prudent similar health care providers.”
Breach
The healthcare provider must have breached the duty of care owed to you under Florida state law. You must be able to identify ways in which the doctor failed to satisfy the standards accepted in the Florida medical community.
Examples might include failing to order diagnostic tests, misinterpreting lab results, or using unreliable practices during a surgical procedure.
Causation
The doctor’s actions (or inaction) must have been the actual and proximate cause of an injury or loved one’s death. The consequence must not be a reasonably foreseeable risk of the medical care you received.
Damages
No medical malpractice lawsuit can succeed without damages. Damages are the consequences you’ve suffered because of the healthcare provider’s actions. Examples might include medical expenses, disability, or emotional distress.
What Damages Can I Get in a Medical Malpractice Claim?
When you file a medical malpractice lawsuit in Lakeland, Florida, you can pursue compensation for your economic damages and non-economic damages, including:
- Current medical bills
- Future medical expenses
- Rehabilitation
- Physical therapy
- Prosthetics and medical equipment
- Disability
- Diminished earning capacity
- Out-of-pocket expenses
- Funeral costs
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Scarring
- Reduced quality of life
- Embarrassment
- Loss of consortium
Punitive damages can also be awarded in a limited number of situations when there is compelling evidence of intentional misconduct, fraud, or gross negligence. While compensatory damages are not capped, punitive damages are limited to the greater of three times the value of compensatory damages or $500,000.
Who Could Be Liable for Medical Negligence in Lakeland?
Any member of your healthcare team or party who assumed responsibility for your health can potentially be liable for a medical error.
Following a thorough investigation of your case, our medical malpractice attorneys in Lakeland might determine that one or more of the following parties are at fault:
- Primary care physician
- Emergency room physician
- Surgeon
- Specialist
- Anesthesiologist
- Pharmacist
- Nurse practitioner
- Nurse
- Hospital staff
- Hospital administration
- Midwife
- Chiropractor
- Dentist
Our team will carefully review the facts and evidence of your case to determine what went wrong, why, and who’s responsible. Once liability is clear, we will aggressively pursue a maximum financial recovery for you and your family.
What’s the Statute of Limitations for Florida Medical Malpractice Lawsuits?
In Florida, the statute of limitations for most medical malpractice lawsuits is two years. This includes cases resulting in personal injury and wrongful death.
Thanks to the discovery rule, the clock begins to tick when your injury is discovered.
However, you will not have unlimited time to take legal action. The state’s statute of repose sets a four-year time limit on all medical negligence claims, even in situations where an injury hasn’t been discovered yet.
It’s critical to seek out legal assistance as soon as you suspect that your doctor made a mistake. If you miss the deadline that applies to your case, you’ll lose the right to demand the financial accountability you deserve. Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers can help you protect your rights and fight for the compensation you need.
Schedule a Free Consultation With a Trusted Lakeland Medical Malpractice Lawyer
Call Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers if you’ve recently been the victim of a medical error in Lakeland, Florida. You may have the right to take legal action and demand compensation from your negligent provider and/or the facility where the mistake was made.
Our Lakeland medical malpractice lawyers can help you fight for a top-dollar financial payout.
We offer a free initial case evaluation, so don’t hesitate to reach out to our skilled team to schedule yours today.
