Medical Malpractice

The most recent medical malpractice case settled by the lawyers at Van Dorn & Curtiss was for $1,000,000 against a VA Hospital for the negligent medical treatment of a veteran. You can learn more about that case by clicking here.  Medical malpractice cases can be among the most difficult, not just from a legal perspective, but more importantly from the perspective of the victim and the victim's family. That's why we try to treat our medical malpractice clients and their families with the same  care and respect we would if the clients were members of our own family. And in many repects by the time the case is over we feel like the client is a member of our family. You can see how some of our clients feel by clicking here to visit our client testimonial pages.  As consumers, we depend most on doctors and other healthcare professionals. We pay them for their services, and in return we assume that we will receive expert treatment.  While we all know that people sometimes make mistakes, a doctor’s error has far more serious repercussions than most.

Imagine the horror of visiting an emergency room for severe back pain, undergoing multiple tests, being denied a necessary consult with a specialist, and not receiving medication soon enough to prevent paralysis. Being diagnosed with cancer and facing the possibility of losing your speech is terrifying, but the pain and suffering caused by a doctor severing the wrong nerve while removing the tumor and the resulting facial numbness and malfunctioning windpipe is a lifelong disability. Believing that an unnecessary dental procedure is a preventative measure and enduring irreparable damage to your jaw because of it is simply unacceptable.

While these stories sound far-fetched, they happen more often than you might imagine, and healthcare providers and hospitals protect themselves with teams of malpractice attorneys and malpractice insurance in order to avoid paying damages. Other law firms shy away from battling large medical institutions in cases of medical malpractice, but the legal experts at Van Dorn & Curtiss enjoy litigating these cases.

We won’t just settle for what the defendant’s attorneys offer; Van Dorn & Curtiss dictates the settlement, and if the other side won’t meet our demands, we will go to trial and the record shows that we win. Our reputation is widely known amongst malpractice attorneys, and when they hear that a plaintiff has retained a member of the law team at Van Dorn & Curtiss, they are fully prepared to compensate our clients fairly. We don’t settle for anything less.

Our Goal is Not to Meet Your Expectations. Our Goal is to Exceed Your Expectations. 

As legal experts, we know that the different types of personal injury cases are unique, and medical malpractice law presents special challenges – challenges that we not only meet, but we exceed in the courtroom.

Medical malpractice is defined as a doctor’s failure to properly diagnose and treat a patient that leads to new medical issues for the victim. There are innumerable types of medical malpractice cases, but most of them fall into the categories of a doctor’s failure to diagnose, not gaining the patient’s consent, surgical errors, prescription errors, and negligence in diagnosing associated diseases, all of which can result in serious injuries and permanent disabilities that can cause the victim lost wages and employment opportunities, pain and suffering, and an overall decline in quality of life.

In 2003, the average medical malpractice settlement in New Hampshire was $250,000, and recently in Vermont, legislators have considered reforms to medical malpractice laws that would allow doctors and other health care providers to admit medical errors with no liability and give them a $250,000 cap on “non-economic” malpractice claims.

The attorneys at Van Dorn & Curtiss know the lengths to which powerful healthcare companies will go to escape responsibility for their errors, and we refuse to accept settlements that do not cover the damages you’ve incurred. We are not daunted by these tactics. In fact, we look forward to litigating malpractice cases. Our reputation for aggressive litigation and securing generous jury awards for our injured clients forces malpractice attorneys to meet our demands in the case of settlements. It is known that we will not back down in the courtroom, and if we do take a case to court, we win.

All Law Firms are Not Created Equal.

There is good reason why other firms will refer cases to us. Van Dorn & Curtiss attorneys are known for winning, and when another firm feels that a case might be too difficult, they know that no case is too challenging for us.

If you or a loved one has sustained a permanent disability or suffered wrongful death due to the negligence of a health care provider, Van Dorn & Curtiss will use our years of litigation experience to work for you. We deal with the aspects often related to medical malpractice cases that most law firms don’t cover, such as insurance liens, negotiating unpaid medical bills, and the recovery of other insurance benefits not included in your initial lawsuit. Van Dorn & Curtiss is a full service law firm and we will assist you in all associated legal issues for the one contingency fee.

We represent clients in Western New Hampshire and Eastern Vermont, including the counties of Merrimack, Cheshire, Sullivan, Grafton, Coos, Windham, Windsor, Orange, Caledonia, and Essex.

If you want aggressive and expert pursuit of your medical malpractice claim and full recovery of all damages you are owed due to the negligence of a doctor or healthcare professional, call Van Dorn & Curtiss today at 1(877)611-9622 for a consultation. Trust the lawyers other lawyers trust, and call Van Dorn & Curtiss today.

Blog for Medical Malpractice

• HOSPITAL MISTAKES CAN BE DEADLY
• Harmed by a Prescription Drug? | NH Medical Malpractice Attorneys
• Medical Malpractice Epidemic Persists Even as Compensation to Victims Decreases Part III
• Medical Malpractice Epidemic Persists Even as Compensation to Victims Decreases Part II
• Medical Malpractice Epidemic Persists Even as Compensation to Victims Decreases
• Vermont Acts to Make Drug Makers’ Gifts Public
• Common Medical Malpractice Cases | New Hampshire
• Does The Medical System Really Make Life Threatening Mistakes?
• One Million Dollar Settlement in Medical Malpractice Claim Against VA Hospital
• Medical Errors Caused by Doctor Behavior
• Woman Dies While Awaiting Treatment

Library for Medical Malpractice:

• Wrongdiagnosis.com | Types of Medical Mistakes   
  Description: Medical mistakes can happen in your physician’s office, in a hospital setting and at the pharmacy. Please use this page to learn more about common medical errors such as failure to diagnose, surgery mistakes and negligence. If you have been injured or a loved one has died and you believe that a doctor, nurse or hospital error is to blame you may have a medical malpractice case. Please contact your experienced New Hampshire and Vermont personal injury attorneys at Van Dorn & Curtiss today for your free consultation. TOLL FREE 1.877.611.9622
• How to Avoid Prescription Mix-ups at the Pharmacy   
  Description: How can I avoid prescription mix-ups and mistakes at the pharmacy? With millions of Americans suffering after receiving an incorrect medication or dosage many are asking this question. This article outlines how to help avoid some of the common causes of prescriptions drug errors at the pharmacy and in your doctor’s office. If you have been injured or a family member has been killed by a prescription error please contact your experienced medical malpractice attorneys at Van Dorn & Curtiss today for your free consultation. We work hard every day to help Vermont’s injured get their lives back.
• Avoid Prescriptions Drug Mistakes   
  Description: This article highlights of the reasons behind prescription drug mix-ups. Also included are tips on how to keep you safe from doctor and pharmacist mistakes.
• Hospital Infections on the Rise   
  Description: The major danger with hospital Staph infections is their resilience. 60% of Staph infections are drug resistant. McCaughey points out that many other healthcare systems in countries like Denmark, Finland and the Netherlands have drastically reduced the infection rate in hospitals. However, unlike the United States, healthcare in those countries is a not for-profit business.
• Medical Malpractice - Quick Facts and Stats   
  Description: We depend most on doctors and other healthcare professionals. We pay them for their services, and in return we assume that we will receive expert treatment. While we all know that people sometimes make mistakes, a doctor’s error has far more serious repercussions than most. When we go to a hospital and receive medical treatment, the last thing we want to think about is what if the doctor makes a mistake. Still, medical errors are common and it is important to understand the issues involved in medical malpractice cases. The following are some basic facts and statistics regarding medical malpractice claims and trials.
• Medical Providers Fail to Release Medical Records - A New Trend   
  Description: Increasingly, medical providers have failed to release patient medical records when requested. Medical providers are required by the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act to release medical records upon request by a patient or their representative.
• Important Issues in Vermont Medical Malpractice Law [PDF]   
  Description: This brief article highlights some important issues in raising a medical malpractice claim in Vermont.

View All

Frequent Questions for Medical Malpractice:

• My spouse recently died while being treated at a hospital.  I think the hospital did something wrong, but the hospital won't release the medical records...what can I do?
• What are some specific types of medical malpractice?
• Is it true that legislators are attempting to limit medical malpractice recovery in New Hampshire?

Case Results for Medical Malpractice:

• VA Hospital Fails in its Duty to our Client

Awarded: $1,000,000

Free Injury Report

Personal Injury Victim's Handbook

Free Consultation

To speak about your case with the lawyers of Van Dorn and Curtiss, complete the form below or call us on our toll free number: 1-877-611-9622

FAQs

Medical Malpractice

• My spouse recently died while being treated at a hospital.  I think the hospital did something wrong, but the hospital won't release the medical records...what can I do?
• What are some specific types of medical malpractice?
• Is it true that legislators are attempting to limit medical malpractice recovery in New Hampshire?

More