Medical Malpractice

Medical malpractice is a type of "professional negligence" and a personal injury tort. Medical malpractice occurs when a licensed health care provider, like a doctor or nurse, or an employee of a licensed health facility (e.g., a hospital), breaches the standard of care and causes injuries and damages. A breach of the standard of care occurs when the health care provider does not act as a reasonable health care provider would in the same or similar circumstances.

At Hoffer & Sheremet, we take virtually all kinds of medical malpractice cases on behalf of patients and families. (We do not accept dental malpractice cases or cases arising from mental health treatment.) We sue doctors, hospitals, nurses, and other health care providers who make mistakes that cause serious, life-altering injuries.

Here are some examples of cases our malpractice lawyers accept:

• Anesthesia Complications
• Bed Sores and Pressure Ulcers
• Birth injuries and Obstetrical Errors
• Brain Injuries
• Cerebral Palsy injuries
• Delayed Diagnosis / Missed Diagnosis
• Emergency Room Errors
• Erb's Palsy
• Hospital Negligence
• Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy
• Nursing Negligence
• Gynecology errors
• Patient Falls
• Pediatric Malpractice
• Post-surgical complications
• Preventable Heart Attacks
• Pulmonary Embolism
• Sepsis
• Stroke
• Surgical Malpractice
• Ureter and Bladder Injuries
• Wrongful Death

Filing a lawsuit against a physician, hospital, nurse or other healthcare provider in Michigan is subject to many strict rules and laws. There are a lot of hoops to jump through. At Hoffer & Sheremet, after we accept your case for an initial review, we review all of the medical records and identify an expert witness that meets certain legal requirements. The expert reviews your case. If the expert agrees that the doctor or other healthcare provider made a mistake, we give what's called a "Notice of Intent" to the doctors and hospitals. After that, there is a six-month waiting period. Only a few cases are settled during this "notice period." If your case does not settle, we file a medical malpractice Complaint along with an Affidavit of Merit from our expert witness. This starts the lawsuit. For more detailed information about medical malpractice procedure, read our article: Medical Malpractice 101.

From our initial meeting until resolution of your claim, our medical malpractice lawyers will explain every step of this complicated process. We will also have a medical professional review your case at the outset, so you are fully informed of the strengths and potential weaknesses of your case, and can make an informed decision before a suit is filed.

At Hoffer & Sheremet we are proud of our client-centered philosophy. Our clients' needs and interests always come first. We educate our clients about the litigation process and the medicine. We keep our clients continually informed. We take as much time as you need answering questions, reviewing documents, and just sitting and talking with you about your case. Read more about how our medical malpractice attorneys are different here.

Damages are an important element of medical malpractice cases. At Hoffer & Sheremet, we begin analyzing your damages from the very beginning and work with you to decide a reasonable value for your case. Damages include economic damages, like medical expenses, lost wages, replacement services, and other things that have cost you money. Damages also include non-economic damages, which is compensation for things like pain and suffering, scarring and disfigurement. Non-economic damages are capped in Michigan. Read more in our article dedicated to damages in medical malpractice cases.

If you think your doctor, hospital or other healthcare provider made a mistake, you’ll want to work with the best medical malpractice lawyers in Michigan. To get started, call our medical malpractice lawyers at 616.278.0888, complete our free consultation form, or send us an email. Many times we can tell you if you have a valid claim in our initial phone consultation. No appointment is necessary for an initial phone consultation.