The first and foremost priority of the experienced personal injury and medical malpractice attorneys at Powell Law is to effectively and properly litigate a personal injury case. We always strive for our clients to receive a complete and total recovery for their damages. Injuries to children in a healthcare setting may be one of a parent’s worst fears. The profession charged with preventing illness and promoting good health is instead causing actual harm. A qualified Powell Law attorney may evaluate the viability of a potential medical malpractice claim based on a pediatric injury.
A medical error may occur at any time. From the moment a child is born, the potential for injury manifests itself. Children may be injured at birth based on medical errors during labor or delivery. As they grow to adulthood, children may be injured because of a medical mistake or the use of a defective medical device. Any of these events may occur during a routine visit or emergency surgery.
When children sustain any injury as the result of the negligent conduct of a medical professional, they may be entitled to compensation for any damages. Similarly, when children sustain an injury or harm as the result of a defective medical product, they may be entitled to compensation for any damages.
A child may also suffer an injury when a medical professional does not recognize and properly diagnose the presence of a serious medical condition. These errors generally take the form of failed, delayed, or the wrong diagnosis.
Claims based on diagnostic errors were the most common allegation in all children except those aged one month or less. In the older age groups, Claims based on diagnostic errors occurred in 34% to 44% of all claims and lawsuits for that age group.
In Pennsylvania, children may bring a legal claim for up to two years after their eighteenth birthday. Thus, injured children with conditions that may not be fully recognized until years after the injury’s initial occurrence, may bring claims until they are the age of 20, even if their injuries occurred at birth.
A recent study found that three (3%) percent of pediatric claims were filed more than ten years after the injury. 1.9 percent of pediatric claims were filed 11 through 15 years after the patient was harmed, and only 1.1 percent of pediatric claims were filed 16 through 20 years after the harm occurred.
With our experience, we have unique abilities to help our clients throughout legal matters like medical malpractice that may involve serious life-changing consequences. Powell Law’s unsurpassed qualifications make it an obvious choice for representation in all types of personal injury and medical malpractice cases in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and surrounding areas. Contact Powell Law at call (570) 961-0777. The consultation is FREE.
