Miami Medical Malpractice Attorneys
A Legacy of Success in High-Stakes Medical Malpractice Lawsuits Nationwide
As a Miami trial law firm with decades of experience pursuing justice, we understand how devastating medical malpractice can be for our clients. The last thing patients — and their families — expect is for a medical professional to deviate from accepted standards of care and cause harm in the course of treatment. That deviation can be in the form of an improper, negligent act or the omission of an act, which is the failure to do something that should have been done. Either way, the consequences can be devastating.
Unfortunately, medical malpractice happens far too often — and in many cases, the injuries and the responsibility go unaddressed. At Grossman Roth Yaffa Cohen, many of our Miami attorneys specialize in medical malpractice and have vast experience trying medical malpractice cases. While these claims are always complicated, we know how to work with clients and medical malpractice experts to best present a case and obtain accountability and compensation.
When we take on your case, we’ll fight hard to get the compensation you deserve. We have a distinguished and long track record of favorable verdicts and multi-million-dollar settlements, and our medical malpractice trial attorneys have tried or settled thousands of cases regarding birth injuries, traumatic brain injuries, failures to diagnose, surgical errors, laboratory mistakes and more. We handle medical malpractice cases throughout Florida from our offices in Miami and Boca Raton, so don't wait to call.
Get started with a no-cost, no-obligation consultation at one of our Florida offices today. We are here to help.
How Will My Attorneys Be Paid?
In medical malpractice cases, the fees are collected on a contingency basis, which means your attorneys only receive payment if they make a recovery on your behalf. All of the costs of a medical malpractice case, such as investigative costs, expert costs, litigation costs and preparation for trial, are paid for initially by the attorneys.
In the end, though, our goal as lawyers is the same as yours: to help get you the compensation and justice you rightly deserve. We don’t get paid if we don’t recover for you. Of course, costs will always vary from case to case along with the facts and circumstances.
Picking the Right Medical Malpractice Attorney
At Grossman Roth Yaffa Cohen, we want you to make sure you’re prepared when seeking a medical malpractice attorney.
We’ve put together three things to look for when you’re choosing an attorney that fits your needs:
- Does the lawyer have a proven track record? This may seem obvious, but it’s important to fact check the medical malpractice attorneys you’re considering. Ask yourself: Does this lawyer or firm have the proper financial and human resources to take on this type of case? Do they have the people in place to do this job appropriately and effectively? For our cases at Grossman Roth Yaffa Cohen, we have a team of attorneys and six in-house medical investigators who assist us in vetting and evaluating medical malpractice cases.
- Does the attorney have a deep understanding of medical malpractice law in your state? Medical malpractice is extremely specialized in the state of Florida. Unlike personal injury cases involving planes, trains or automobiles, you can’t just go down to the courthouse that same day and file a lawsuit. There are a number of laws in place to shield doctors from lawsuits, and you must make sure these laws are complied with—otherwise, your case may be tossed out. Also, your case needs to be vetted by an expert, and then that expert needs to sign an affidavit. Once that happens, there’s an entire pre-suit process that must happen. The right medical malpractice lawyer will understand these intricacies and help shepherd your case to court.
- Does the law firm have an appropriate stable of medical malpractice experts to handle the pre-suit process? This is an extremely important one. Experts in these types of cases are invaluable, and we always suggest seeking a firm that has the best qualified experts. This way, you’re sure the expert on your case is stable and reliable.
How to Prove a Medical Malpractice Case: What to Expect
By understanding how medical malpractice lawsuits work and what steps and requirements are involved, patients who have been injured can become advocates in their own recovery. They can obtain damage awards and settlements that help pay the medical bills and make up for the loss of income that never should have happened.
In any medical malpractice case, the plaintiff and his or her medical malpractice attorney must establish the following elements:
- A duty was owed to the patient. This exists whenever a hospital or medical provider undertakes a patient’s treatment.
- A duty was breached. In other words, the hospital or medical provider failed to follow the relevant standard of care.
- The breach caused an injury. In legal terms, the medical malpractice must be the “proximate cause” of the injury suffered.
- These are losses — financial, physical, or emotional — that result from the negligent act or omission. Damages can be recovered by the medical negligence victim and certain family members and can include reduced wages due to a disability, severe pain and emotional distress associated with injuries, or reduced enjoyment of life.
It’s important to note that a medical negligence claim cannot be brought successfully unless all four of the above elements are present. After a case is filed by the plaintiff’s medical malpractice attorney, the discovery process begins—a period in which both sides share information that pertains to the case, such as medical records and patient histories.
Many medical malpractice claims are settled during this time, but if the parties cannot agree on a fair resolution, the case will proceed to trial. There, the plaintiff must prove, by a preponderance of evidence, the four elements of his or her medical malpractice case. Expert witnesses (individuals with specialized knowledge, training or experience regarding specific medical issues) are particularly important, helping the plaintiff establish the prevailing standard of care and how the defendant’s action or omission deviated from it.
At the end of the trial, a jury will weigh the evidence that was presented and determine which side has the more credible case. If that determination is a verdict in favor of the plaintiff, the jury or judge will calculate damages, typically awarding a monetary sum to compensate the injured party. Awards can consist of punitive damages, as well, though these are typically granted only when the negligence was particularly outrageous. Either side can appeal the court’s judgment; a losing defendant can also ask to have a large judgment reduced. These requests may – but often do not – succeed.