Articles Posted in Expert Witnesses

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courtUnder Maryland law, every medical malpractice case requires testimony from an expert witness. In fact, Rule 5-702 denotes that expert testimony may be admitted if the court decides that the testimony will help the trier of fact (either the judge or jury) understand the evidence or determine a fact at issue in the case. The expert witness in a medical malpractice case is typically a professional in the same specialty as the defendant. For example, if the defendant is an obstetrician, the expert witness will likely be an obstetrician.

In a recent case, a Maryland appeals court considered the issue of expert witnesses. In that case, the plaintiff brought a medical malpractice claim against her doctor for failing to obtain informed consent. Informed consent is the process through which a medical professional discloses appropriate information to a patient so that the patient knows the material risks and benefits associated with a particular course of treatment and can make an informed decision about whether or not to proceed.

In the case at hand, the defendant was the plaintiff’s obstetrician throughout two of her pregnancies in the early 2000s. The plaintiff’s first child was a healthy newborn with no sign of harm to the newborn’s shoulder. However, the child’s chart revealed conflicting information about whether the child had suffered shoulder dystocia. A past shoulder dystocia can increase the likelihood of dystocia in the next child, but this prospect was not taken into account for the plaintiff’s second pregnancy. During the second birth, the plaintiff’s baby suffered shoulder dystocia, which led to a serious and permanent birth injury.

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backacheAccording to the American Chiropractic Association, Americans spend at least $50 billion each year on back pain. Back pain can interrupt many aspects of an individual’s day-to-day life, which is why many will turn to a chiropractor for help. While chiropractors offer medical treatment for more than just back pain, this is the reason why many patients initially visit. When you consult a chiropractor, you expect that your condition will improve, not get worse. Unfortunately, chiropractic malpractice happens quite often in Maryland and throughout the United States. If you or someone close to you has been injured due to a chiropractor’s negligence, it is important to seek the help and guidance of a skilled Baltimore medical malpractice attorney.

Chiropractic work is a form of alternative medicine. A chiropractor is a health care professional focused on the diagnosis and treatment of misalignments of the joints. Specifically, chiropractors treat patients through manual adjustment or manipulation of the spine, which often is related to other disorders affecting the nerves, muscles, and organs. Most chiropractors aim to reduce pain and improve the functionality of patients.

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courtroomIn Hannon v. Mercy Med. Ctr., Inc., the plaintiffs, surviving sons of the deceased, filed a medical malpractice claim on their own behalf and on behalf of their father’s estate, alleging that the doctor and hospital that treated the deceased failed to adhere to the standard of care required of medical professionals in Maryland.

Medical malpractice claims are rooted in the theory of negligence. Negligence refers to the failure of an individual or entity to use the level of care and caution an ordinary person would use in the same or similar circumstances. That failure to use the appropriate level of care and caution must result in harm in order for negligence to be established. In the context of medical malpractice, medical negligence refers to the failure of a health care provider to use the level of care that another health care provider in the same specialty would use in the same situation. For example, a nurse’s conduct would be compared to another nurse’s conduct in the same situation.

After the plaintiffs’ repeated failures to comply with discovery requests and their supposed lack of cooperation with their lawyers in handling the case, the attorneys communicated their intent to withdraw as counsel as permitted under Maryland Rule 2-132(b). This took place three months prior to trial. The court granted the lawyers’ request to withdraw.

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labWhen you have been the victim of medical malpractice, it can be hard to know what to do next. Dealing with the harm is hard enough, and we know the last thing you want to think about is filing a lawsuit. At Arfaa Law Group, our compassionate Baltimore medical malpractice attorneys can analyze the facts of your case and advise you about how to proceed. We will try to make the process as seamless as possible for you.

Medical malpractice litigation often requires using expert witnesses. These witnesses are needed to educate the jury regarding complicated medical issues that often come up in a medical malpractice trial. Finding an expert can be extremely challenging, and the qualifications of the medical expert in your case will vary according to the facts of your case.

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