Understanding the Role of your South Florida Medical Malpractice Attorney

If you live in Florida and have been a victim of medical malpractice, you may need to seek a South Florida medical malpractice attorney. A good first step is to get a solid understanding of what a medical malpractice attorney does, what the general parameters around medical malpractice are and how to uncover what your rights might be under Florida Law. This guide will also help you prepare for your first meeting with your potential medical malpractice attorney, as well as provide some guidance as to how to make your selection.

Michael P. Bonner, founder of Miami-based Bonner Law Firm, is a leading attorney representing clients who have experienced medical malpractice in the South Florida area. He brings over three decades of experience and a proven track record to each, along with a client-first attitude.

Frequently Asked Questions about Working with a South Florida Medical Malpractice Attorney

   
1. What does a South Florida medical malpractice attorney do? Medical malpractice attorneys, such as Michael P. Bonner at Bonner Law, specialize in assisting patients who have been impacted and injured by a doctor, medical professional or hospital while under their care. If you or a loved one has experienced injury due to the negligence of a medical provider, you may need this type of attorney to help you navigate the aftermath.   Common types of medical malpractice:  
      
   • Misdiagnoses - When a doctor fails to diagnose a patient’s condition, diagnoses the patient with the wrong condition or concludes that the patient does not have any type of medical condition when he or she does.
      
   • Delayed Diagnoses - When the doctor’s mistaken or delayed diagnosis causes the patient’s condition to worsen
      
   • Negligent Failure to Treat - When a correctly diagnosed patient does not receive appropriate treatment, I.e. the patient can’t get an appointment or is discharged too early.
      
   • Surgical Malpractice - When surgical mistakes occur such as wrong-site surgery,  wrong-patient surgery, wrong surgical procedure, damages that occur during surgery, unnecessary surgery, use of non-sterile surgical instruments, leaving objects behind, administering incorrect amounts of anesthesia and failing to provide follow-up care.
   
2. How should I prepare for my first consultation? Preparing for your prospective South Florida medical malpractice attorney will go more smoothly and efficiently with some preparation on your part in advance. Following are some tips that the team at Bonner Law compiled to help you prepare for your first consultation:
   
      
   • Outline all the details of what happened with relevant details like dates, times, pain levels, pre- and post-incident health quality
      
   • Doctor, hospital, witness and health insurance contact details
      
   • Police and ambulance reports if applicable
      
   • Prescription and medical bill receipts
      
   • Documentation of missed time from work and pay stubs
      
   • Any other relevant documents
   
3. What can I expect before, during and after my case? Navigating the aftermath of a medical malpractice incident can be challenging and daunting. Following are some answers to commonly asked questions regarding what to expect.    
   
      
   • What Happens During a Medical Malpractice Lawsuit? A plaintiff brings a cause of action against the defendant (a doctor, hospital or medical professional). From there, the lawyers on both sides gather evidence and details. During this time, the parties may try to settle the case before going to trial. If this doesn’t happen, then the parties go to trial.  
      
   • What Sort of Damages May Be Covered? Medical malpractice damages can cover economic damages, such as medical expenses and lost wages, as well as, non-economic damages too, like pain and suffering. Medical malpractice damages usually cover general damages, special damages, and sometimes punitive damages.
   
4. What qualities should I look for in my South Florida medical malpractice attorney? Medical malpractice lawsuits are very complex.  A good medical malpractice lawyer will offer some of the following traits:  
   
      
   • Legal Expertise – A good medical malpractice lawyer needs to understand how to read medical documents, how to communicate with medical professionals and insurance companies as well as how the laws of the state work.
      
   • Medical Expertise – Understanding of the medical profession is crucial. A medical malpractice lawyer should be able to analyze the specifics of the case from a medical perspective and gain an understanding of the medical facts.
      
   • Experience – When choosing a medical malpractice law firm, look for experience in taking medical malpractice cases all the way to and through a trial.
   
5. What is the Bonner Law difference? Michael P. Bonner is a leading South Florida medical malpractice attorney that brings over 30 years of experience to each and every case. With a deep understanding of the Florida medical system, the Florida medical malpractice laws as well as insight as to how to deal with insurance companies, the Bonner Law team offers the expertise you need as you recover from your medical malpractice incident. Bonner Law, led by Michael Bonner, offers a wide range of benefits, including:  
      
      
   • Extensive experience with medical malpractice
      
   • Unique Knowledge of the Medical Field
      
   • Timely and Effective Representation
      
   • Personalized Service

If you or a family member were a victim of a delivery room error because of the negligence of doctors or nurses, you may be entitled to compensation. Call Bonner Law at 1-800-4MEDMAL or go online to schedule a free consultation.

Michael P. Bonner has over 30 years of experience representing clients in medical malpractice litigation.