If you have reason to suspect that your daughter was the victim of negligent surgery and this impacted her quality of life for a significant period of time you may have a medical malpractice case worth investigating. There will be issues about whether the statute of limitations expired, but usually state law has a provision that tolls the statute of limitations for minors. Also, there is likely case law that indicates that the statute of limitations is tolled if you were reasonably unaware that somebody made a medical mistake.
If you want to investigate a malpractice case, you should contact a local medical malpractice attorney (one in your state). They take these cases on a contingency basis which means you only have to pay if you succeed. Additionally, initial consultations are usually free. You can use the "Find a Lawyer" service through this website to research medical malpractice attorneys. Then, visit each attorney's website and look for a firm that has a record of successful verdicts, ideally with experience in cases that involve your medical issue. If you are unable to find a lawyer who meets these qualifications within your state, sometimes you may contact an out of state lawyer who can refer you to a qualified attorney in your state while providing support related to the issues of medicine.
Below are some articles you may find helpful. They are written for a New Jersey audience (where I practice) but the ideas discussed in these articles usually apply in most other jurisdictions as well.
Click here for an article that discusses the three main questions I ask when deciding whether to investigate a potential medical malpractice case.
Click here for an article that explains what you can and should expect when pursuing a medical malpractice case.
Click here and here for more information about me.
Please note that by attempting to answer your question, I am not acting as your attorney. I will do nothing further to protect or preserve your interests in the absence of any additional discussion with you about this matter. John Ratkowitz, Esq. Starr, Gern, Davison & Rubin, P.C. 105 Eisenhower Parkway Roseland, NJ 07068 Office: (973) 830-8441 Cell: (732) 616-6278 Fax: (973) 226-0031 Email: jratkowitz@starrgern.com Skype: john_ratkowitz Click here for my website.
Answered on Mar 21st, 2013 at 10:34 AM