Published by Arfaa Law Group
Physician burnout is an increasingly common issue in healthcare that can seriously jeopardize a patient’s health. If you believe that you suffered harm due to a medical professional’s negligence, you may be entitled to compensation for your harm. At Arfaa Law Group, our seasoned Baltimore medical malpractice team can help you understand your legal rights and options. With extensive experience, we understand the nuances of this area of law.
Physician burnout is a serious epidemic in the United States. Burnout among physicians generally refers to a loss of enthusiasm for one’s work, a decline in satisfaction and joy and an increase in detachment, emotional exhaustion and cynicism. In short, burnout is a state of chronic stress. According to one study, nearly two-thirds of U.S. doctors experience burnout, depression or both. These results are consistent with a prior study conduced by the Mayo Clinic that found that about 46 percent of the 7,200 doctors surveyed showed signs of burnout. The rate was 10 percent higher than the rest of the population. Research shows that doctors who suffer from burnout take less interest in their patients, are less empathic and are more prone to mistakes.
Burnout is often the underlying cause of medical mistakes that can lead to serious patient harm. If a doctor’s error, misconduct or wrongdoing causes patient injury or death, that doctor may be liable under a medical malpractice claim. Medical malpractice occurs when a medical professional, by act or omission, fails to adhere to the accepted standard of practice in the medical community and causes injury or death to the patient. In all medical malpractice cases, the doctor’s deviation from the appropriate standard of care must have been a direct cause of the patient’s harm. In other words, a harmless error is not compensable under the law. To establish medical malpractice, the plaintiff must demonstrate the following criteria:
- The medical professional owed a duty of care to the patient;
- The medical professional breached the duty of care owed to the patient; and
- The patient suffered harm as a direct result of medical professional’s breach.
A statute of limitations is a state law that sets a limit on the amount of time you have to file a lawsuit after you have suffered some type of harm. Under Maryland law, the statute of limitations for a medical malpractice claim is five years from the time the injury occurred or within three years of the date the injury was discovered, whichever comes first. This is the general rule and, in limited circumstances, there may be exceptions that apply in your case.
If you or someone close to you has been injured due to a medical professional’s negligence, you need to consult a highly skilled Baltimore medical malpractice attorney who can help. At Arfaa Law Group, we are committed to getting you the compensation you need to make a full recovery. We understand that dealing with a medical injury can be incredibly stressful, which is why we will handle your case with the utmost compassion. To schedule a consultation, call us at 410-889-1850 or contact us online.
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