If you have suffered from a medical professional or medical institution’s actions, you may be considering a medical malpractice claim. These are three steps you should take if you are considering a lawsuit:
- Tell the medical professional you are unhappy: Get in touch with the medical professional concerned and tell them about your concerns. Ask if there is anything they can do to solve the problem. If they can it will save you and them time and money; they may well do it for free rather than face legal costs if they do not.
- Contact the medical licensing board: Medical licensing boards are there to regulate those working in medicine. They issue and can retract licenses. They may be able to help your case by warning the medical professional involved or using disciplinary action to encourage the practitioner to resolve it.
- Get a certificate of merit: Also known as an affidavit of merit, a suitable medical professional signs a document to say that your case is valid in their professional opinion. They act as an expert witness to say that the medical professional deviated from what would be expected of a medical professional of similar experience in a similar situation.
It is vital to ensure that you meet the strict time limits required if you bring a medical malpractice claim. In New Jersey you usually have two years to bring a claim. Steps such as obtaining a certificate of merit also need to be completed within specific shorter time scales. Getting your dates wrong, or delaying could invalidate your claim. Seeking prompt legal advice can ensure you meet deadlines and correctly file your claim.