Muskegon Medical Malpractice Lawyers 

Every day patients put their faith in the hands of medical professionals. Everyday patients put their life in the hands of medical professionals-we trust them with our lives. But when negligence is committed the top medical malpractice lawyers in Michigan that serve the Muskegon area are ready to hear what happened to you. Medical care or treatment should not make the patient’s health worse. It’s required that all medical professionals comply within a certain “standard of care” when treating a patient. This means the medical provider should do what other reasonable professionals within their specialty would do given the same circumstances. When a healthcare provider misdiagnoses a patient, overlooks an allergy on a chart, or fails to monitor a "fall risk” patient closely enough, medical negligence, also known as malpractice, can occur. Our attorneys in Muskegon County are ready to help you understand your possible medical malpractice case, contact us today for a completely free case review. 

Understanding Medical Malpractice in Muskegon, MI

Medical malpractice is a critical aspect of personal injury law, focusing on the duty of care that healthcare providers owe to their patients. Basically, medical professionals must adhere to care that aligns with current medical practices and does not further harm the patient. These standards ensure that healthcare providers take reasonable steps to safeguard patient health, whether through accurate diagnoses, appropriate treatments, or safe surgical procedures.  

However, a bad medical outcome does not necessarily mean that negligence was committed. Expert witnesses are required in Michigan medical malpractice cases and they provide testimony about the standard of care and if it was breached. From our combined almost 40 years of experience, H/S Law has some of the best medical expert witnesses to help investigate your claim. The standard of care evolves over time, making the insights of Muskegon medical malpractice lawyers essential in evaluating your claim. We are experts in the law and the medicine who are ready to help you best understand your possible claim. 

Common Medical Errors

Individuals seeking to pursue a Michigan medical malpractice case can file claims for various types of medical errors, including: 

• Delayed Diagnosis: When a medical provider fails to identify the condition within a timely manner, patients could suffer severe consequences that may have been avoided if not for the delay. For example, a surgeon could perforate part of the bowel during surgery. If this problem isn’t resolved in time, by either the surgeon noting the error and fixing it before completing surgery, or by close monitoring for signs of infections after surgery, the patient may suffer from sepsis leading to severe complications or even death. 

• Surgical Mistakes: Operating on the wrong body part or failing to recognize complications during surgery could be cause for a medical malpractice claim. 

• Medication Errors: Mistakes in medication dosages, or even administering the wrong medication, may arise from miscommunication among healthcare staff. 

• Emergency Room Errors: Inadequate triage, failure to recognize critical symptoms, or even low staffing may lead to medical errors that have devastating outcomes for patients.  

These scenarios represent a few common issues that our Muskegon lawyers for medical malpractice have seen throughout their work as plaintiff’s lawyers.  

Muskegon Lawyers for Medical Malpractice, Understanding Possible Compensation

Victims of medical malpractice in Muskegon, MI may seek compensation through lawsuits. This monetary recovery falls into two main categories: economic damages and non-economic damages.

1. Economic damages cover tangible losses like medical bills, lost wages, and costs for necessary care. 
2. Non-economic damages account for pain and suffering, emotional distress, or loss of companionship, all of which are subject to Michigan's non-economic damages ‘cap’. 

The ‘cap’ on these damages means that no matter how much a jury awards to a plaintiff for their non-economic damages, the Court will limit this amount between the low cap at $586,300 and the high cap at $1,047,000 (as of 2025). The high cap is only applicable in certain scenarios. Read more at our blog. This is unfair to patients, as it puts an arbitrary compensation limit on the suffering they’ve endured.   

The best medical malpractice attorneys in Michigan know how to prove damages in a medical malpractice case. We use solid strategies such as compelling testimony and gathering evidence to demonstrate these damages. Understanding the types of compensation available is crucial for those seeking financial recovery from medical malpractice in Michigan. 

The Legal Process for Michigan Medical Malpractice Cases

If you believe you have a case, it’s essential to consult with expert medical malpractice attorneys in Muskegon, Michigan. At H/S Law, we begin with gathering medical records and obtaining an expert’s review of those records to determine if negligence occurred. If the expert agrees malpractice was committed, we then issue a “Notice of Intent” (NOI) to all parties we intend to sue. After the NOI is sent, in Michigan medical malpractice claims, there is a mandatory 182-day waiting period before we can officially file a lawsuit. This waiting period is meant to allow for settlement before a lawsuit is even filed, however, that rarely happens. It’s also unfair to patients because during this time they may be facing the financial effects of bad medical care without the money needed to pay for care.  

After the NOI waiting period, we're finally able to file your case. This includes writing our allegations in a “Complaint” and filing an “Affidavit of Merit.” This affidavit, signed by an expert witness under oath, states that there was a breach in the standard of care that caused the patient’s injury. After these documents are filed, we move into “Discovery” phase, which includes the deposition process. A deposition is sworn testimony by a witness in which they answer questions about what happened in regard to the case. After the discovery, settlement discussions usually take place. These discussions can happen in a few different ways. Sometimes they are done with the assistance of a mediator and sometimes we speak with the defense attorney or hospital directly. If a settlement agreement can’t be reached, the case will proceed to trial. Don’t worry, the experienced trial lawyers at Hoffer & Sheremet will be with you every step of the way, even in the event there needs to be an appeal.