Malpractice

Compassionate Medical Malpractice Attorneys Serving Texas

Trusted representation for victims of medical negligence in Dallas, Fort Worth, and Austin

Patients trust medical professionals – doctors, nurses, surgeons, and others – to make the best choices regarding their health. Their job is to exercise great care when making a diagnosis, treatment decisions, and performing procedures. If a physician or health care provider acts in a negligent manner, however, the results can be devastating for the patient. When a patient experiences injury and losses due to medical negligence, they may be eligible for compensation.

The medical malpractice attorneys at Slack Davis Sanger provide honest and knowledgeable representation for patients injured by medical negligence. With a global reputation for excellence, our team of trial lawyers understand how to navigate these types of complex cases. Our own legal nurse consultant provides experienced medical expertise to our malpractice cases, adding a unique layer of knowledge.

We understand the toll a serious injury can take on your life, not only physically but emotionally and financially. We will fight for compensation and justice on your behalf, as well as increased safety regulations for the healthcare industry.

“All law firms should operate and handle their clients just as you do!” - Rebecca F., Client

What is medical malpractice?

Medical malpractice occurs when a healthcare professional or entity (like a hospital) causes a patient harm through negligence. Courts define medical negligence as when a medical professional violates the standard of care owed to a patient. “Standard of care” refers to how other healthcare professionals would have diagnosed or treated the condition in question.

In other words, the standard of care would be the generally accepted treatments and methods used by other area health care providers on patients with the same or similar health conditions.

Texas medical malpractice and negligence cases work much the same as personal injury cases, in that they have a statute of limitations of two yearsFederal medical malpractice claims have different limitations, however, as do state and other governmental entities – some as short as six months. In some instances, if a patient is unable to determine that they are injured, or if the injury is to a minor or incapacitated person, the limit can be longer. Our attorneys can recommend the best time to file your claim, which is typically as soon as possible in order to protect your right to compensation.

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What are some examples of medical malpractice?

Although any failure to meet the standard of care could constitute malpractice, some types of medical malpractice tend to happen more than others. Common medical errors leading to serious injury include:

Misdiagnosis and delayed diagnosis. A late or wrong diagnosis can lead to unnecessary treatments or a patient not receiving treatments in a timely manner. This can happen when a doctor fails to do things like recognize symptoms of a condition or illness, refer the patient to a specialist, or order proper diagnostic imaging and tests. Making an accurate diagnosis can mean the difference between life and death for many patients.

Failure to treat. This means that even if a doctor arrives at the correct diagnosis, they failed to recommend adequate treatment and the patient suffered as a result. Examples could include failure to order appropriate follow-up tests, releasing a patient too soon from the hospital, or failing to properly treat symptoms of heart attack or stroke. Failure to treat can cause a patient’s condition to worsen and cause irreversible harm.

Prescription drug errors. Doctors, hospitals, and pharmacists can all be responsible for these types of errors. Prescription drug mistakes can cause a patient anything from a mild allergic reaction to a fatal one. Examples include prescribing the incorrect medication for a condition, an incorrect dosage, failure to recognize dangerous drug interactions, failure to note allergies, prescribing a more dangerous drug when a safer one would work as well, or failure to recognize signs of addiction and abuse.

Surgical errors. Whether a procedure is inpatient or outpatient, your medical team has a duty to keep you safe from mistakes. Common errors that can happen during surgical procedures include operating on the wrong body part, leaving devices or objects inside the body, injury to adjacent organs, anesthesia errors, inadequate follow-up care, and communication mistakes.

Birth injuries. These are injuries that happen before, during, or after childbirth. Newborns are particularly vulnerable to medical error, which can include things like improper prenatal care, failure to recognize fetal distress, failure to order or obtain a timely C-section, improper use of forceps, failure to recognize a breech birth or wrapped umbilical cord, and inadequate post-partum follow-up.  Severe injuries and even death can also happen to otherwise healthy mothers due to failure to note danger signs like high blood pressure, hemorrhage or infection.

These are only a few examples of medical malpractice and the harm it can cause patients. The attorneys at Slack Davis Sanger work to determine why and how your injury happened, who or what was responsible, and hold them accountable for the harm they caused.

What are the most common reasons for medical malpractice?

Medical negligence and malpractice can happen for a variety of reasons, but regardless of why or how it occurs, if a patient is harmed or loses their life, the right people must be held responsible. Over our combined decades of experience as trial attorneys, we have seen malpractice injuries caused by the following:

Physician and health care provider burnout, caused by understaffed hospitals and overworked providers. When staff and resources are overwhelmed, performance may suffer. Medical professionals can make any number of mistakes, from surgical errors to prescription drug mistakes to lab test mix-ups.

Poor documentation, which can include mistakes in medical charts, failure to fill out paperwork or transfer patient information, or a failure to procure a patient’s full medical records or history.

Knowledge gaps, meaning that one doctor cannot know everything. A family doctor generally should refer a patient to a specialist for further care, and some conditions require a diverse medical team with a wide spectrum of knowledge.

Drug or alcohol impairment, which can be fatal to a patient undergoing a procedure. Like anyone else, medical professionals are vulnerable to substance abuse and addiction. However, both they and their employer can be held liable for the harm they cause while operating under the influence.

How safe are Texas hospitals?

The Leapfrog Group is a nonprofit group that provides consumers with hospital safety information, including data on errors, injuries, accidents, and infections. Following is their information on hospitals and centers in the Austin/Dallas/Fort Worth area.

Austin

St. David's South Austin Medical Center
901 West Ben White Blvd
Austin, TX 78704-6903
Grade A

Dell Seton Medical Center at the University of Texas
1500 Red River St
Austin, TX 78701
Grade B

St. David's Medical Center
919 E 32ND ST
Austin, TX 78705-2709
Grade A

Ascension Seton Medical Center Austin
1201 West 38th Street
Austin, TX 78705-1006
Grade A

Ascension Seton Northwest
11113 Research Boulevard
Austin, TX 78759-5236
Grade A

St. David's North Austin Medical Center
12221 MOPAC EXPRESSWAY NORTH
Austin, TX 78758-2496
Grade A

Dallas

Baylor Scott & White Heart and Vascular Hospital Dallas
621 N. Hall Street
Dallas, TX 75226-1339
Grade A

Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas
3500 Gaston Avenue
Dallas, TX 75246-2088
Grade C

Methodist Dallas Medical Center
1441 N. Beckley Avenue
Dallas, TX 75203-1201
Grade A

UT Southwestern Zale Lipshy Pavilion at William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital
5151 Harry Hines Boulevard
Dallas, TX 75390-9265
Grade A

Parkland Health & Hospital System
5200 Harry Hines Boulevard
Dallas, TX 75235-7731
Grade C

William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital
6201 Harry Hines Blvd
Dallas, TX 75390
Grade A

Fort Worth

Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Southwest Fort Worth
6100 Harris Parkway
Fort Worth, TX 76132-4199
Grade C

Texas Health Huguley Hospital
11801 South Fwy
Burleson, TX 76028-7021
Grade B

Baylor Scott & White All Saints Medical Center - Fort Worth
1400 Eighth Avenue
Fort Worth, TX 76104-4192
Grade C

John Peter Smith Hospital
1500 S. Main Street
Fort Worth, TX 76104-4917
Grade B

Medical City Fort Worth
900 Eighth Avenue
Fort Worth, TX 76104-3986
Grade A

Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth
1301 Pennsylvania Avenue
Fort Worth, TX 76104-2122
Grade C

(This is just a partial list; however, you can perform detailed Texas hospital searches at Leapfrog.)

How do you prove a medical malpractice case?

Our attorneys will analyze your case to determine whether malpractice occurred. As a patient, you have certain rights, and if a medical professional violates those rights, we will work to hold them accountable. For the best possible outcome in a medical negligence case, we demonstrate the following points:

  1. A doctor (or other health care provider)/patient relationship existed, meaning you and your medical professional had a mutually agreed-upon professional relationship. This would not apply to asking advice online or at a get-together; it means establishing a professional relationship for your health care.
  2. The health care provider failed to meet the standard of care, meaning others in a similar situation would have acted differently. Our attorneys will call on expert medical witnesses to show that your provider’s actions were substandard.
  3. The provider’s breach of the standard of care caused your injuries, which we will demonstrate through your medical records and expert testimony.
  4. Those injuries caused you serious losses, including medical expenses, loss of income, and pain and suffering. If you lost a loved one to medical malpractice, you may be eligible for compensation for funeral and burial expenses as well.

If you suspect you or a loved one are a victim of medical malpractice, it is crucial to contact an attorney immediately. These types of cases involve both medicine and the law, making them extremely complex. Let us put our knowledge to work for you.

Medical malpractice attorneys fighting for justice

When health care providers are negligent, patients suffer. If you were injured from a preventable medical mistake, the malpractice attorneys at Slack Davis Sanger are here to help. We work to recover compensation and hold medical professionals accountable for the harm they cause. To schedule a free consultation at one of our offices in Austin, Dallas, or Fort Worth, please call 800-455-8686 or fill out our contact form.