There are few things worse than seeking help from a medical professional, only to find a serious error has been made. Unfortunately, this is something that happens virtually every single day throughout the United States. In fact, according to a study conducted by Johns Hopkins, roughly 250,000 people die each year as a result of medical errors. And a recent expose published in The New York Times on December 16, 2022 entitled “E.R. Doctors Misdiagnose Patients with Unusual Symptoms” raised concerns about the ability to satisfactorily address emergent situations in highly stressed situations. Patients harmed by a medical professional may be entitled to sue for compensation, but the laws governing such claims vary by state. Fortunately, Connecticut does not have an arbitrary limit on the amount of compensation for damages an injured patient and the patient’s spouse may recover. Please continue reading and reach out to a seasoned Stamford, Connecticut medical malpractice lawyer from our firm to learn more if you believe that you or a loved one believe you may have a claim.
What are some examples of damages a person can sustain as a result of medical malpractice?
To start, you should understand that a wide range of actions (or inactions) can be considered medical malpractice. Some common examples of medical malpractice or negligence are as follows:
- Diagnosis errors
- Anesthesia errors
- Surgical errors
- Emergency room errors
- Birth injuries
As you can imagine, each of these errors can lead to a wide range of damages, both economic and non-economic in nature. Economic damages deal with the actual cost of an injury, such as the cost of medical care required to remedy the problems, the cost of lost wages from being unable to return to work, and more. On the other hand, non-economic damages deal with the intangible, yet very real damages caused by an injury, such as pain and suffering, a lower quality of life, emotional trauma, and more.
Does the state of Connecticut cap medical malpractice damages? No.
Many states do have a cap on the amount of compensation a person can receive in a medical malpractice claim, especially when it comes to non-economic damages. Fortunately, however, the state of Connecticut does not have such a cap. This means that a jury can award any amount of compensation it feels necessary to adequately compensate an injured plaintiff for the damages they’ve incurred.
That being said, to recover this compensation, it is of paramount importance that you retain the services of a competent medical malpractice lawyer who can work with and for you to gather and present evidence on your behalf to satisfy the burden of proof in your claim. Casper & de Toledo is a personal injury law firm with decades of experience helping victims of negligence and malpractice throughout the state of Connecticut, and we can put that experience to work for you in your case as well. Contact us today so we can get started.
