Portland Oregon Medical Malpractice Attorney

Patients put their trust and faith in medical professionals to act competently and safely. Medical errors can cause severe injuries and death. Every year, thousands of people die because of preventable medical errors. According to a recent study published in the Journal of Public Safety, patients suffer from preventable harms that contribute to their death in numbers that make medical malpractice the third leading cause of death in the country, behind only heart disease and cancer. If you or a loved one has been injured or killed due to misdiagnosis, surgical error or another form of medical malpractice, you should seek a free consultation with Portland medical malpractice lawyer Chad Stavley. It is important that you understand your potential claims.

What is medical malpractice?

There are many different types of medical negligence (malpractice) ranging from misdiagnosis to surgical errors.  The law requires physicians to use the skill, care, and diligence that an ordinarily careful doctor would use in the same situation. This is called the “standard of care." Anything less than the standard of care is considered malpractice. Doctors who are specially trained in a field are held to the standard of care for that specialty.  For instance, a vascular surgeon must use the skill and care that any ordinarily careful vascular surgeon would use in the same situation.  Doctors aren’t required to be perfect, but they are required to be competent and meet the standard of care.

Why you should call for a consultation

Medical malpractice cases are difficult to win in the best of circumstances.  They are also extremely expensive. Medical providers will almost always aggressively deny any wrongdoing. Their insurance companies will not fairly value claims even when the liability is clear. Getting the right lawyer is very important. The plaintiff’s lawyer in a medical malpractice case will need to be willing to take a significant amount of time to learn the medicine and spend a significant amount of money to hire appropriate experts.  That is why very few Oregon personal injury lawyers will touch a medical malpractice case.  Chad Stavley takes select medical malpractice cases and will be prepared to spend the time and money necessary to get the case ready for trial.