We rely on our doctors, surgeons, and medical specialists to provide safe, accurate, and considerate treatment options nowadays, but it’s worth mentioning that countless mistakes, oversights, and errors occur in the health and wellness sector each year.
Thus, if you happen to be caught in the midst of a medical negligence situation, it’s important to note that you are not alone by any stretch of the imagination:
- In Australia, 18,000 people die each year due to preventable medical negligence.
- Upwards of 50,000 citizens struggle with permanent disability or long-term injuries as the direct result of a negligent practitioner.
- More than 80,000 people are hospitalised each year due to medication and prescription errors.
- There are more than 10,000 active medical negligence cases at any given point in time.
- The average payout of a medical negligence claim is approximately $60,000.
- More than 49{ee2a2ced2e83a70af3b12a5f5f4bc88f1c095ae1846c54ee750c7ec9c020c045} of today’s medical negligence claims are settled out-of-court in a quick and easy manner.
However, due to the nuanced legalities and complex codifications involved with health sector lawsuits, you’ll have to hire a team of renowned medical negligence lawyers to facilitate the paperwork, court proceedings, and help you obtain just compensation.
In this regard, feel free to use this brief exposé as a step-by-step guide in helping you find the ideal local law firm to represent your case.
Step One – Focus on the Experience and Reputation
First things first, you’ll want to ensure that your legal team of choice can tout a long-standing history of attaining successful outcomes for their clients:
- Upwards of 25 years of experience in the medical negligence niche
- Certified by the Law Society of NSW
- Accredited as Personal Injury Specialists
- Members of the Australian Plaintiff Lawyers Association
- Endorsed by the Brain Injury Association
- Robust portfolio of over 15,000 successful insurance and negligence claims
Step Two – Assess the Firm’s In-house Aptitudes and Proficiencies
Next, you’ll want to turn your attention towards the firm’s suite of services to ensure a wide range of specialties and fields of focus. So even if you’re only interested in a pursuing a single private physician for a negligence claim, it’s still in your best interests to find a firm that can handle an extensive assortment of contemporary casework, such as the following:
- Motor car accidents
- Public liability claims
- Slip and fall claims
- Superannuation and personal disability claims
- Mesothelioma and asbestos cases
- Workers compensation claims
- Flights, cruises, and international accidents
- Corporate negligence
- Product liability claims
Step Three – Look for a Focus on Affordability and Professionalism
Last but not least, you’ll have to ensure that your team of lawyers can put forth a cost-effective outlay for their services, especially when taking into account the fact that negligence cases can take several months (or more) to conclude. As such, you’ll want to seek out the following aspects in the firm’s Why Choose Us section:
- Fee-free initial consultations and preliminary case evaluations
- 90-day complimentary trial for all legal services
- No-win, no-fee promise (you don’t pay a single dollar until the case is resolved)
- Intuitive, easy-to-understand cost agreements
- Fee reduction promise written in the client-attorney contract (if you are unhappy with the outcome, you can obtain a fee reduction)
