Baltimore Medical Malpractice Lawyer

Representing Victims of Medical Malpractice

According to some studies, healthcare worker error is responsible for approximately 250,000 deaths every year. If you’ve been affected by this type of negligence, a Baltimore medical malpractice lawyer may be able to help you pursue justice.

Why Choose Us?

As a former Golden Gloves fighter and union organizer, attorney Steven H. Heisler has triumphed against formidable opponents many times. He continues to do so as a medical malpractice attorney, fighting for clients in need of compensation.

When you choose Steve to represent you, you get the benefit of working with a firm that:

• Has recovered millions of dollars in compensation for clients
• Has a nationally recognized trial lawyer as its founder
• Has strong ties to the local community
• Never backs down from a fight it believes in.

Past Medical Malpractice Settlements

$4,000,000

Steve and associate counsel represented an individual who suffered catastrophic brain damage due to an error during intubation. The client has been in a coma for several years.

$850,000

Our clients in this case were the family of a single man with no children who died the day after being discharged from a Baltimore City hospital. He had been treated for pneumonia. He was released from the hospital and died the following day as a result of fluid buildup in his lungs. Steve and associate counsel successfully sued the hospital on behalf of the man’s family, highlighting that the patient was discharged prematurely.

Finding Out Who Was Negligent

Doctors aren’t the only professionals who can be held liable for medical malpractice. Various kinds of treatment providers can be found negligent in this way, including:

• Nurses
• Technicians (radiologists, etc.)
• Pharmacists.

Additionally, employers of these professionals may also be held liable for medical malpractice through the doctrine of vicarious liability.

Certificate of Merit

For medical malpractice claims to be entertained, they must be accompanied by a certificate of merit, which is prepared by a qualified expert and attests to the validity of the claim.

Common Medical Malpractice Situations

Medical malpractice can occur at most stages of treatment, from first-responder care to treatment given in a nursing home or a cancer ward. Some of its more common manifestations include:

Surgical Errors

Surgeons must perform to a very high standard to discharge their duty of care properly. Surgical mistakes tend to cause more damage than errors in other fields of healthcare.

Common types of surgical errors include:

• Wrong-site surgery
• Amputation errors
• Leaving objects inside patients
• Anesthesia errors
• Nerve injuries
• Perforation of organs or arteries.

Diagnostic Errors

Diagnosis is the cornerstone of medical care, as every decision about treatment relies on it. An erroneous diagnosis could subject a patient to harmful medications and deprive them of those they need. A misdiagnosis costs a patient invaluable time; in cancer cases, for example, patients are often left with no chance of survival because of delays in accurate diagnosis.

A recent study published by Johns Hopkins found that 795,000 Americans suffer permanent disability or death every year because of diagnostic errors.

Medication Errors

Medication errors can occur in various ways. A doctor might prescribe the wrong medication, or prescribe too much or too little of it. An emergency room nurse might administer the wrong drug during a procedure. Pharmacists, as well, might err in the filling of a prescription.

In any of these cases, patients can face serious injury and even death.

Birth Injuries

A birth injury is any type of damage to a baby that happens during or close to the time of birth. Examples of common birth injuries include oxygen deprivation (birth asphyxia), bone fractures, injuries to the brachial plexus, cephalohematoma, cerebral palsy, hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), Erb’s palsy, Klumpke’s palsy, shoulder dystocia, C-section injuries, forceps injuries, fetal death, and spinal birth injuries.

Medical Malpractice Damages

In Maryland, injury victims can pursue compensation for any properly documented losses arising from medical malpractice. For economic damages, receipts, bills, and account information will generally suffice as proof of loss. However, there are no built-in numbers for noneconomic damages, which must be determined based on the extent of the injuries and the specific losses in each case.

Economic damages include:

• Medical care expenses, including future medical costs
• Past, present, and future lost wages
• Household care expenses
• Expenses related to home and car modifications for your injuries
• Medical equipment.

Non-economic damages include:

• Pain and suffering
• Inconvenience, embarrassment, humiliation, or disfigurement
• Physical impairment
• Loss of companionship, care, protection, or marital relations.

How Our Baltimore Medical Malpractice Lawyer Can Help You

Handling All Aspects of Your Claim

If you or a loved one has experienced a medical malpractice injury, then you should not have to worry about the complex processes involved in getting compensation. Our Baltimore medical malpractice attorney will manage every aspect of your claim so you can spend your valuable time on yourself and your loved ones.

Our medical malpractice lawyer in Baltimore can:

• Draft important legal documents for your case
• File all legal paperwork in a timely manner
• Collect important evidence and medical documentation
• Consult with medical experts as to the merit of your claim
• Obtain a certificate of merit for your claim
• Negotiate with insurance companies
• Take your case to trial if settlement negotiations are unsuccessful.

Cases Handled by Our Baltimore Medical Malpractice Attorney

If you’d like to learn more about our approach to the specific types of medical malpractice cases we handle, click on the following links:

• Medical Malpractice Cases
• Cancer Misdiagnosis
• Birth Injury
• Medication Error
• Anesthesia Errors
• Dental Malpractice

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How long do I have to file a lawsuit for medical malpractice?

Under Maryland law, you must file your lawsuit within three years of the occurrence of the injury caused by the medical malpractice or within five years of the date on which it was discovered, whichever deadline comes first.

Can I still sue if I signed an informed consent waiver?

Yes. Many patients believe the informed consent waiver eliminates their right to sue for negligence, but it does not. Healthcare professionals are never immune from malpractice. However, your waiver may impose limitations on your claim. Our medical malpractice attorney can discuss the issue further with you.

How much compensation can my medical malpractice lawyer get me?

The compensation Baltimore medical malpractice lawyers can obtain depends on the circumstances of your case and the extent of the harm you’ve suffered. Generally speaking, the greater your losses, the more compensation you are likely to receive.

What if the malpractice insurance company makes me an offer?

If you receive a settlement offer from an insurance company, you should not accept it until at least getting a case review and appraisal from a qualified medical malpractice lawyer. Your claim is likely worth much more than the offer.

How long will my case take?

Until our Baltimore medical malpractice attorney reviews your case, we can’t say. Generally speaking, complex cases require longer resolution times, especially if a trial is involved.

Attorney Steve Heisler

Steve Heisler decided in 1996 that he was going to focus his law practice exclusively on injury cases. Since then, he has been representing injured people against insurance companies, disreputable medical practitioners and Big Pharma, and doing it with compassion, honesty and level-headed rationality. [ Attorney Bio ]