Start researching malpractice lawyers in Baltimore the second you realize you may have a case on your hands. The sooner you contact an attorney and start building your case, the sooner you can recover damages. However, even when you act fast, recovering damages can still be a lengthy process, so ensure you’re working with an experienced professional.
5 Reasons You Shouldn’t Wait to Hire Malpractice Lawyers in Baltimore
- The Statute of Limitations
In Baltimore, you must start the legal process within five years of obtaining or contracting the illness/injury that stemmed from medical malpractice or negligence. The statute of limitations is three years from the date of discovery if you discovered the injury/illness at a later date.
The statute of limitations can differ depending on the type of malpractice that has ensued. For example, if you’re dealing with a surgical error case, then the statute is almost always three years. It’s also three years for a birth injury. Because the statute of limitations will prevent you from filing after the time has elapsed, you should always act fast and hire a lawyer as soon as you can.
- It May Be Easier to Gather Evidence
If you hire an attorney and get to work soon after experiencing malpractice, then it may be easier for the attorney to start gathering evidence. The hospital or doctor’s office will probably still have your files close by and fresh in their minds, and notes/details about your treatments and procedures will likely be easy to access.
If you wait a particularly long time, then some forms of evidence, such as paper copies of your medical records and medical bills, may be lost. As malpractice cases can be complicated and often difficult to win, you really need all the evidence you can get to build a strong claim.
- The Events Will Be Fresher in People’s Minds
Your attorney will likely need to speak to witnesses, including hospital staff and anybody else who may have seen or known about the malpractice that occurred. The fresher the memories are, the better. With time, memories may fade and stories can get muddled, and if multiple witnesses are telling different stories, that may complicate the case a little.
Witnesses must be able to testify regarding what occurred, as testimonies may reveal there was a breach of care. Proving there was a breach of care is a big part of building a strong medical malpractice case. Check out this site for more information on what you need to succeed in a medical malpractice case.
- To Give You Peace of Mind
If you’re the victim of medical malpractice, then it can really put you into a dark place mentally. You may be worrying about paying for the treatment you need because of the mistake the doctor made. You might be experiencing severe emotional distress. If a physician’s negligence left you with a disability, then you may not be able to work anymore, leading you to worry heavily about your finances.
When you start working with an attorney, it may bring you some peace of mind to know you’re doing something to seek justice. You’re actively attempting to recover damages, and that may help calm you going forward.
- Recovering Damages Can Take a Long Time
Recovering compensation for your damages can take quite a while with any legal case. As medical malpractice cases can be complex, it may even take years to settle. It can take sometimes take 5 years and beyond for particularly complicated cases to settle.
So the sooner you start the process, then the sooner you may recover compensation. Acting fast will prevent you from dealing with an additional stretch of time where you haven’t recovered compensation or done anything to pursue the compensation you may be entitled to.
How Likely Is Recovering Compensation in a Medical Malpractice Case?
If you have strong enough evidence, then you may have a pretty good chance of recovering compensation, though nobody can ever say for definite whether you’ll win your case or not. Physicians often have very good legal teams there to help them if a medical malpractice case arises, so you need to ensure you have an experienced local lawyer on your side.
There’s a chance that the other side will settle to avoid going to trial, though how high or low the settlement may be will vary depending on your case and the evidence you have to support it. If you do have to go to court, then you generally have a 50% chance of winning if you have a strong case.
Is It Worth Making a Medical Malpractice Claim?
It’s always worth seeking justice if you’ve experienced medical malpractice. Many malpractice attorneys won’t charge you a dime until they win your case, so it’s generally risk-free on your part to pursue your case.
Always act fast if you believe you have a medical malpractice case to pursue. You’ll want the situation to be fresh in the minds of witnesses, and you absolutely need to make your claim before the statute of limitations runs out.
