Have you or a loved one been injured at the hands of a doctor? You may
be entitled to recover
medical malpractice damages to compensate you for the harm you have suffered. The financial
award you may be entitled to can help cover your medical bills, pain and
suffering, or even wrongful death if the situation calls for it.
Attorney Patrick L. Block, a medical malpractice lawyer in Portland, breaks down the damages that
you can expect to receive if you win your malpractice case.
Types of Malpractice Damages
The most important thing that an attorney will do when proving your injury
is show that it was the negligence of the doctor and the medical malpractice
they performed that caused your injury and that some monetary award can
be attached to the physical, emotional, and financial injuries you have suffered.
These monetary damages can be broken down in three ways:
1.
General: Damages that cannot have a distinctive price attached to them, such as
your physical and mental pain and suffering, the loss of enjoyment of
life, and the reduction of your future earning capacity.
2.
Special: Measurable means of compensation, such as medical expenses, lost work,
therapy, and more that have been utilized to deal with the injury.
3.
Punitive: Money aimed at punishing a doctor for the medical malpractice performed
when the doctor knew they were behaving negligently and continued regardless
of whether it was wrong.
Many states limit the number of financial damages that someone injured
can receive in connection with their injury. These caps are usually limited
at general damages that do not have a strict financial amount associated
with them. In Oregon, the damage cap only applies to general damages in
wrongful death cases, and it is set at $500,000. This means that is a
patient suffered a wrongful death caused by medical malpractice, the relatives
of the deceased is limited to a $500,000 to compensate for pain and suffering,
loss of companionship, and more.
Anyone that has experienced any injury due to medical malpractice is encouraged
to speak with a lawyer as soon as possible. The laws governing medical
malpractice can be complex, and it is important that you work with someone
that is knowledgeable of how the law applies to your case. With over 20
years of experience fighting for victims of medical malpractice in Oregon,
you can be confident that Attorney Block stands by your side. Schedule your
free consultation with our firm today!