Medical malpractice occurs when a healthcare provider fails to use the level of skill, knowledge, and care in diagnosis and treatment that other reasonably careful providers would use in the same or similar circumstances and, as a result, a person is harmed. Examples include failure or delay in diagnosis, performing a surgery or medical procedure incorrectly, and giving the wrong medication. According to a 2016 John Hopkins study, more than 250,000 people in the United States die every year from medical error – placing it as the third leading cause of death in the country. Our attorneys know that medical malpractice also results in lifetime disabilities such as paralysis, brain injury, and preventable amputations that will affect patients and their families for the rest of their lives.
Victims of medical malpractice often have difficulty finding an attorney willing to hold healthcare providers accountable for their actions. This is because the California Legislature enacted a package of legislation called MICRA in 1975 designed to protect healthcare providers and medical malpractice insurers from medical malpractice claims. The limitations imposed by that legislation created caps on recoverable damages, shortened time limits for bringing claims, and limited attorneys’ fees. Attorneys have been fighting for decades to have the MICRA limitations adjusted. In 2022, that fight became a success story with the passing of Assembly Bill 35, which significantly increases the prior caps and offers victim’s a real shot at fair and equitable recovery. Altair attorneys were instrumental in that success.
Altair Law has experience holding healthcare providers responsible for the damages caused by medical negligence. In 2021, Altair attorneys obtained the highest medical malpractice settlement in the history of the state of California.
If you or a loved one is the victim of medical negligence, we can help you get compensation for medical expenses, lost income, and other support. Please feel free to contact us to discuss your case. We provide free consultations, work on a contingency fee basis, and advance all case costs.
