Doctors in Pennsylvania must go through many years of school and training prior to practicing medicine. This is very important because the human body is a very complicated thing and has many different parts that need to work together to keep people healthy. So, when things go wrong people need to doctors who know exactly what they are doing to help ensure that the person is able to get better. However, sometimes the person does not get better and sometimes things get worse for them.
This could be because of natural complications that occurred that were unexpected and completely out of the control of the doctor. However, other times doctors and other medical professionals make mistakes and due to their negligence the patient either does not get better or end up in an even worse position medically. In these situations, the patient may have a medical malpractice claim against the doctor and be compensated for their injuries.
However, medical malpractice claims are more complicated than other types of negligence cases. In order to be successful people must prove that the doctor’s actions fell below the medically acceptable standards for the area. In order to do this the patient will need a medical expert to testify that the doctor did in fact do this.
In order to be a medical expert though, the person must have certain qualifications. First they must be licensed to practice medicine in the state and either be currently practicing or teaching or have been doing so at least five years prior to the case. They also must be familiar with the standard of care in the area and practice in a similar field they are testifying about.
Practicing medicine in Pennsylvania can be very complicated and there are many different things that can go wrong with people. The expectation though is that the doctors and medical professionals will do their job according to the acceptable standards of care. If they do not and a patient is injured, the doctor may be required to compensate the victim for the injuries they cause. Experienced attorneys understand the complicated nature of these cases and may be a useful resource.