Medical Malpractice Involving Physician Assistants
A medical error or act of negligence on the part of a physician’s assistant can result in catastrophic consequences. Medical malpractice often causes painful injuries or illnesses that require the patient to seek additional treatment, resulting in further medical expenses.
Victims of medical malpractice involving physician assistants have the right to seek compensation for damages stemming from negligent care. The medical malpractice attorneys at Younker Hyde Macfarlane can assist individuals in Salt Lake City, UT, and surrounding areas in getting maximum compensation for their losses.
What Is Medical Malpractice?
Anyone who feels like they have received inferior medical care may be anxious to file a medical malpractice lawsuit. However, only a select number of cases can actually be defined as medical malpractice. Even if a medical professional makes an error, it is not automatically classified as medical malpractice. If it is the same type of error that is likely to have been made by someone similarly trained in their field, it does not fall under the category of medical malpractice.
To count as medical malpractice, our attorneys must be able to show that a patient received care that breached the accepted standard of care. If a medical professional neglected their medical duties, or made a mistake that would not have been made by a similarly trained medical professional, that is defined as medical malpractice.
Who Can Be Sued for Medical Malpractice?
Many of our potential Salt Lake City clients mistakenly believe that only a doctor can be sued for medical malpractice. In actuality, anyone in the medical field who fails to meet up the accepted standard of care can be sued for medical malpractice. This includes physician assistants.
With the way healthcare is structured these days, fewer patients are seen by a medical doctor. And even when a doctor oversees a patient’s care, they delegate a lot of their duties to other professionals in the field, such as nurses and physician assistants. With this system in place, it is not uncommon for medical malpractice cases to involve physician assistants.
Medical Negligence Involving Physician Assistants
Physician assistants are often responsible for a wide range of duties, so errors and acts of neglect involving these medical professionals are varied. Cases of medical malpractice involving physician assistants may include:
- Improper or delayed diagnosis of a medical condition
- Failing to properly treat a medical condition
- Leaving a patient unsupervised
- Medication errors
- Disregarding the patient’s medical history
- Surgical error
- Performing duties beyond their medical training or expertise
Damages in Medical Malpractice Cases
When filing a medical malpractice case on behalf of our Salt Lake City clients, our attorneys fight to get compensation for the full range of their damages. Victims of medical malpractice may be awarded financial compensation for losses such as medical expenses, the cost of ongoing medical care or rehabilitation, lost wages, a loss of wage-earning potential, and pain and suffering.
Contact Us
If you have been the victim of negligent or substandard medical care, you be eligible to file a medical malpractice lawsuit. To discuss your case with the knowledgeable attorneys at Younker Hyde Macfarlane, call (801) 335-7025 and schedule a legal consultation at your earliest convenience.