When medical procedures or professional care don't go as planned, and the small percentage of risk becomes reality, health care professionals become the target. Changing laws, pro-consumer legislation, and a public focused on the health care system have increased scrutiny on professional practitioners. Coupled with increased insurance premiums for health care providers, the legal environment for health care professionals is fraught with peril. Malpractice allegations impact the individual provider, the health care organization or employer, and the insurance carrier. These issues are not only personal, but their impact ripples throughout the industry.
Health care malpractice cases require a skill and a sensitivity that many other legal areas do not. These are emotional cases which often attack the dedicated professional. The issues are complex, often requiring a deep knowledge of medicine and complicated medical procedures. Not only does the malpractice lawyer need to understand the medical underpinnings of a case, but he or she needs to know how to make it real and understandable for the lay people touched by the issue, including a jury, if a case proceeds to that point.
KCF is uniquely positioned to handle all the different types of health care malpractice cases. Our team includes staffing by a physician lawyer, nurse lawyers, and other lawyers experienced in health care litigation. We've defended all types of health care clients, including:
- Physicians and surgeons;
- Dentists;
- Nurses;
- Physical therapists;
- Psychologists;
- Para-professionals;
- Hospitals;
- Surgery Centers;
- Nursing homes;
- Medical professional groups;
- Adjunct health care providers.
We strive to obtain the best result for a client under the unique circumstances of each case. Cases can result in dismissal, settlement or litigation, including trial. Where appropriate, we vigorously seek to obtain dismissal of a case. In those instances where settlement is the best option, our team is more than able to advance along that path. We've worked on behalf of individuals, insurance carriers and employers. We understand the steps required to define and achieve the best possible result in a health care claim.
There are some cases where the only path to resolution is litigation. We take cases all the way to jury trial, but before we proceed along that path, we evaluate the potential outcomes, positive and negative, of advancing a resolution strategy that best fits our clients needs and situations.
In trial, our attorneys have hundreds of favorable verdicts in malpractice defense behind them - cases involving complex medical issues where the keys to a successful defense include communication, understanding medicine inside and out, and using that understanding to effectively persuade the judge and lay jurors using well established trial skills and innovative courtroom technology.
Whether you're an individual physician or a representative of a hospital, clinic, nursing home, or other health care provider, KCF has the right mix of experienced attorneys who understand your health care specialty and complex medical legal issues and can help you find the resolution that best serves your long-term needs.