Urgent care centers generally fill the gap between emergency departments and primary care physicians. In other words, they often handle conditions that require prompt attention but are unlikely to be fatal. Urgent care centers, like all Maryland healthcare providers, are expected to provide competent and timely care. All too often, however, errors made by urgent care providers cause patients harm and arguably constitute urgent care malpractice. If you were hurt by the carelessness of a healthcare provider working in an urgent care facility, it is smart to talk to an attorney about your rights. The Baltimore medical malpractice attorneys of Arfaa Law Group are well-informed as to what it takes to win in cases against negligent healthcare providers, and if you hire us, we will craft compelling arguments in your favor.
Examples of Urgent Care MalpracticeUrgent care centers provide a range of medical services designed to address acute medical needs in a prompt manner outside of regular physician office hours. These facilities cater to patients requiring immediate attention for non-life-threatening conditions that do not warrant a visit to the emergency room but still need timely medical assessment and treatment.
Common services offered at urgent care centers include treatment for minor injuries such as cuts, sprains, and minor fractures, which often includes X-rays and splinting. They also handle various illnesses like flu symptoms, respiratory infections, urinary tract infections, and gastrointestinal issues, providing diagnostic tests such as rapid strep tests and urinalysis on-site.
Urgent care malpractice can arise when healthcare providers misdiagnose or fail to diagnose a patient, offer improper treatment, or fail to escalate a patient’s care when necessary. Such errors may be caused by inadequate training, insufficient diagnostic equipment, procedural lapses, or mere carelessness.
Claims Arising Out of Urgent Care MalpracticeWhen patients receive substandard care at urgent care facilities, they often suffer adverse health outcomes and may have grounds for pursuing medical malpractice claims. Typically, most medical malpractice cases will include a negligence claim against the defendant.
In Maryland, to establish the negligence of a defendant healthcare provider, a plaintiff has to demonstrate that the defendant owed them a duty to abide by the relevant standard of care. The standard of care that applies is what a capable practitioner who works in the same field as the defendant would offer when faced with the same scenario.
The plaintiff then has to offer evidence demonstrating that the defendant breached the duty owed by deviating from the standard of care. Generally, this evidence consists of expert testimony. Finally, the plaintiff needs to prove that the defendant’s breach proximately caused the plaintiff to suffer measurable harm. This means that the plaintiff has to establish that they would not have sustained injuries had the defendant complied with the standard of care.
A defendant in a medical malpractice case will often refute the plaintiff’s claims with their own expert testimony. It is then up to the jury, or in some cases, a judge, to determine which party should prevail.
If a jury or judge finds in favor of the plaintiff, they may award them damages for their economic losses, which can include the cost of any treatment they needed due to the harm caused by the defendant, lost wages, and out-of-pocket expenses. The plaintiff may also be granted compensation for their harm that is not easily quantified, like suffering, pain, and mental trauma.
Meet With an Experienced Baltimore Medical Malpractice Attorney to Discuss Your ClaimsPeople often visit urgent care providers with health concerns that require immediate attention, but they do not always receive the treatment they need and, unfortunately, often suffer harm as a result of careless mistakes. If you were hurt by the malpractice of an urgent care provider, it is in your best interest to meet with an attorney. The experienced Baltimore medical malpractice lawyers of Arfaa Law Group can evaluate your potential claims and help you seek justice for your losses. We have an office in Baltimore, and we regularly assist injured parties in the pursuit of damages in medical malpractice lawsuits throughout the city. You can reach us at 410-889-1850 or through our online form to arrange a meeting.