Medical Malpractice

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 1-866-632-8980 for a consultation. Trust the lawyers other lawyers trust, and call Van Dorn & Curtiss today.

Library for Medical Malpractice:

• 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.

Frequent Questions for Medical Malpractice:

• Is it true that legislators are attempting to limit medical malpractice recovery in New Hampshire?
• What are some specific types of 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?

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: 1-866-632-8980

FAQs

Personal Injury

• Am I eligible for a personal injury lawsuit?
• How do the attorneys determine how much my personal injury claim may be worth?
• When I meet with a personal injury attorney for my first consultation, what information should I provide?

Automobile Accidents

• I was in an automobile accident and the payout offered by the insurance company seems low. What should I do?
• I was injured in a car accident and it was the other driver's fault.  They didn't have insurance...what can I do?
• I was injured in a car accident and my car sustained very little visual damage.  The other driver was at fault and their insurance company is denying my claim.  They say because there was so little damage to the car, I am lying about my injury...what can I do?

Wrongful Death

• I recently lost a loved one in an accident.  What are my rights?
• How do I bring a wrongful death claim?
• What is a survival action?

Medical Malpractice

• Is it true that legislators are attempting to limit medical malpractice recovery in New Hampshire?
• What are some specific types of 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?

Premises Liability

• Are hotels responsible for criminal acts that take place on their property?

Dog Bites/Pet Attacks

• My child was bitten by a neighbor's dog and the neighbor refuses to pay the medical bills. What should I do?
• How many people are bitten by dogs each year?

General

• I am represented by a personal injury attorney, but I do not think they are doing a good job.  Can I hire another attorney?
• What is lost earning capacity?
• What is loss of quality of life?

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