Mishaps, injuries and accidents do happen, and very often they are due to the actions, neglect or fault of others. If you or someone you know has been hurt in an accident, workplace injury, a victim of medical malpractice or if you have lost a family member due to a wrongful death, you may have legal options for redress. When looking for the best law firms to represent you, keep in mind that you need one that has a record of fighting for and standing by their clients.
Accident or injury?
Injuries and accidents happen. Can they be attributed to chance or is there a responsible party, whose actions or inaction led to the accident? And can the person responsible be held accountable in a court of law? The best law firms will offer you a free initial consultation and tell you if there is a case to be made. And if you decide to go ahead with your workers compensation claims or wrongful death lawsuit, they will assign a top team of attorneys to your case to present it in the strongest light possible in court.
Medical malpractice: The statistics
According to the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), around 225,000 deaths each year are attributable to medical malpractice. Of the 43,982 drug overdose deaths in the United States in 2013?0, 51.8% or 22,767 were caused by pharmaceuticals. In a study published in 2006 by the New England Journal of Medicine, 1,452 randomly selected malpractice cases in the U.S. were analyzed. As many as 97% involved a medical injury, and 66% were due to a mistake by health care professionals.
This information shows that human action and inaction play a major role in these injuries and deaths. As many as 50% of all birth injuries could potentially be prevented by advance diagnosis and planning for obstetrical risk factors.
Workplace injuries result in time off from work
Workplace injuries show a similar pattern, with over three million reported in 2013. Of these, slips, trips, and falls accounted for 229,190 injuries. And apart from the physical injuries sustained, workplace injuries cause loss of income due to time off from work. In 2013, around 917,100 work-related injuries forced workers to take time off from work.
A consultation with the best law firms will help you understand all your options. And if you decide to go ahead, you will have a team of top attired on your side.