Call this direct line and speak with Rob immediately: (801) 363-8500
Hospital Malpractice Lawyer Salt Lake City UT
When we are sick or injured, we turn to doctors and other health care professionals for help. Unfortunately, in some cases, mistakes are made that can lead to more harm. In Utah, when those mistakes rise to the level of negligence, it may be possible for the victim to file a medical malpractice claim against those responsible. If you think you have been a malpractice victim, contact a hospital malpractice lawyer in Salt Lake City UT.
What factors must be present to file a malpractice claim?
In general, the following must exist for an individual to make a medical malpractice claim:
· A doctor-patient relationship
· The doctor, hospital, or medical professional acted negligently in diagnosing or treating the patient, which is proven by showing that a competent doctor under the same circumstances would not have caused the harm the patient suffered
· The negligence caused the patient’s injury
· The patient suffered specific damages, which may include physical pain, mental suffering, increased medical bills, or the inability to work
How long do I have to file my claim?
Under Utah law, a victim must file a claim within two years of the date he or she became aware of or should have become aware of, the medical malpractice (this period is known as the statute of limitations). However, a claim cannot be made more than four years after the date of the malpractice, regardless of when the malpractice was discovered.
If the victim is under 18 years old, the statute of limitations is usually extended. A Salt Lake City UT hospital malpractice lawyer can help determine what it would be in your case.
Is there a cap on how much in damages I can collect?
There is a restrictive non-economic damages cap under Utah’s malpractice law. Utah law does not cap economic damages. Economic damages are medical expenses, loss of income, and other damages that have a quantifiable (actual financial) value. In other words, whatever the past, present, and future cost of those damages are, the victim is entitled to the full value.
Non-economic damages are those losses that do not have a quantifiable value and must be determined using other factors. Non-economic factors include pain and suffering, emotional trauma, scarring, disfigurement, loss of life enjoyment, and more. Unfortunately, because of Utah’s cap, a malpractice victim can only collect up to $450,000 in damages.
Contact Our Firm for Help Today
If you have been injured as a result of negligence on the part of a medical professional, call an experienced Salt Lake City UT hospital malpractice lawyer from Rasmussen & Miner today and find out what legal recourse you may have. We are happy to schedule a free and no-obligation case evaluation and discuss how our firm may be able to help.