The University of Miami Health System is composed of a few departments including UHealth Tower (considered to be one of the safest hospitals in the nation), Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Bascom Palmer Eye Institute. UHealth Tower is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It is located at 1400 NW 12th Ave Miami, FL 33136 in Miami-Dade County. This health system is made up of 1,200 physicians and scientists who are all specialized in providing their patients state-of-the-art medical care and attention.
In addition to the three in-patient facilities they have, they also have more than 30 outpatient facilities located throughout various different counties including Collier County, Palm Beach County, and more. According to their website, this is their mission: “Delivering high-quality, compassionate health care; Leading life-changing discoveries and transforming patient care through innovative research; Educating the next generation of medical leaders; Promoting the health and well-being of our community; Nurturing diversity, equity, and inclusivity”. (para.2). Despite their aspirations and recognitions, the University of Miami Heath system is capable of committing medical malpractice on their patients, a fact that the skilled medical malpractice lawyers in Miami, FL know about. Just because a hospital is said to be the safest or that it has the most skilled doctors available, does not mean that it is a facility that is medical malpractice risk-free.
Any medical provider that works in these facilities is human like anybody else. While they have education, skill, and knowledge in medicine, human error is always a possibility. A medical error can add up to a lifelong of troubles for a patient; they can become a victim of medical malpractice due to the substandard care provided by the physician. When that situation arises, a medical malpractice lawsuit is always an option available to the victim if evidence permits it. These are some featured treatments offered at UHealth Tower where medical negligence can happen:
- Allergy and Immunology
- Arthritis (Rheumatology)
- Bariatrics (Weight Loss Surgery)
- Cancer (Oncology)
- Cardiovascular
- Pain Management and Palliative Care
- Pediatrics
- Physical and Occupational Therapy
- Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
- Primary Care
Have you gone to UHealth Tower and received substandard care that led to your injuries? Did you trust your health to a medical professional that disappointed you? Consult with the best Miami, FL medical malpractice lawyers at Percy Martinez Law Firm who can review your case for you. Discover more essential aspects of medical malpractice with us.
Recognizing Substandard Care
The term “substandard care” was previously mentioned. Some of you might wonder what that notion entails, and it is one that is crucial with respect to medical malpractice lawsuits. Before being able to recognize substandard care, you must know the true meaning of the medical standard of care.
According to Nolo, “The type and level of care an ordinary, prudent, health care professional, with the same training and experience, would provide under similar circumstances in the same community.(para.4)“.
In other words, was the care provided to you below that standard of care? Would another physician have done differently? Would they have acted the same? Determining whether you have enough grounds to file a medical malpractice lawsuit in Florida will be determined through what answers are provided to the above questions. If a medical expert determines that they would have proceeded differently given the same situation, then the victim of the medical negligence might be entitled to pursue a claim for medical malpractice.
How Can I Become a Victim of Medical Malpractice at UHealth?
The possibilities of encountering an instance of medical malpractice happens much more often than most would think. In fact, did you know that almost 300,000 people are killed each year due to medical errors? And millions are injured by it? Yes, medical malpractice is shockingly increasing, not falling far behind from the deaths caused by heart disease and cancer. With so much of these surprising numbers, it is important to know of ways that you can end up in this predicament in attempts to avoid them.
Medical malpractice lawsuit for wrong surgery site: Did you know that as many as 50 events of wrong surgery site occur every week in the US? Wrong surgery site is when a surgeon performs a surgery on a part of your body that they were not supposed to. For example, you go in for the removal of your gallbladder, but instead, the surgeon cuts through some of your nerves, resulting in permanent nerve damage; that is an example of wrong surgery site. Surgeons are failing to review the patient’s medical chart and are not properly communicating with their surgical team. This medical negligence can seriously debilitate a patient and even take their life.
Medical malpractice lawsuit for lack of diagnosis: Issues with the diagnosis of a patient’s problem is among the most prevalent medical malpractice category present. In fact, of all cases filed for medical malpractice, misdiagnosis accounts for about one-third of cases. So, for every three claims filed, one of them will involve diagnostic errors. When a medical provider cannot diagnose what you have, you could go a long time without receiving the proper treatment. You can be placed in a life-threatening situation or your condition can deteriorate with the time that elapses without you receiving treatment. This is especially true for conditions that need swift treatment like an embolism or cancer.
Medical malpractice lawsuit for lack of treatment: When a medical provider fails to provide you with treatment, the consequences to your health could be devastating. There are life-threatening conditions that if left untreated could end with your demise. A failure to treat lawsuit can take place when the lack of treatment results in severe damages or the patient’s death. Some causes for a failure to treat that great medical malpractice attorneys in Miami, FL have discovered include lack of experience, improper testing of the patient, and disregarding symptoms that the patient is expressing.
Other common occurrences of medical malpractice include:
- Lack of informed consent medical malpractice
- Birth injury medical malpractice
- Failure to prevent infection medical malpractice
- Wrongful death medical malpractice
- Prescription error medical malpractice
- Anesthesia mistake medical malpractice
Review Medical Malpractice Information-Facts
- Third leading cause of deaths in the US
- 14 million Americans misdiagnosed each year
- Prescriptions errors injure 1.4 million annually
- Birth injuries affect about 16 babies per 2,000 that are born
- A patient who suffers from cancer will not be properly diagnosed in about 25% of cases
- An estimated 34% of medical professionals sued for medical malpractice are surgeons
- 31% of cases of medical malpractice are for wrongful death
- Surgeons will perform a wrong site incision about 50 times every week
- Anesthesiologists are the least sued among all medical providers for medical malpractice
- 3.6 billion dollars goes in payouts for medical malpractice each year in the US
Chart below shows the payouts made to victims for the injuries that were caused by medical malpractice in 2013
Death | 31% |
Significant Permanent Injuries | 19% |
Permanent major injuries | 18% |
Quadriplegic or brain damage | 12% |
*Info Provided by Diederich Healthcare
Chart below shows the top 10 specialties for medical malpractice lawsuits
Surgery | 85% |
OBGYN/Women’s Health | 85% |
Otolaryngology | 78% |
Urology | 77% |
Orthopedics | 76% |
Plastic Surgery/Aesthetics | 73% |
Radiology | 70% |
Emergency Medicine | 65% |
Gastroenterology | 62% |
Anesthesiology | 61% |
*Info provided by WeatherbyHealthcare
What We Believe In
Our medical malpractice law firm in Miami, FL has over 20 years of experience battling cases of medical malpractice. This is what we believe in:
- Professional behavior.
- Open communication.
- Keeping the client comfortable.
- Analyzing the cases with precision.
- Collecting evidence.
- Obtain financial compensation quickly by negotiations.
- Vigorously fight if we have to go to court.
Has medical negligence happened at UHealth Tower? Believe in us.
UHealth Medical Malpractice Lawyers at Your Disposal
At Percy Martinez Law Firm, our professional medical malpractice attorneys in Miami, Fl pride themselves in not only the legal representation they offer their clients, but the compassion and sensitive nature that they present them with. Empathy and compassion are two attributes that should be expressed towards victims of medical malpractice because it is a traumatizing experience to go through. We know that you are suffering, and possibly lost a loved one due to the medical negligence committed by a physician at UHealth Tower, which is why we ask that you trust us to guide you appropriately and obtain justice for all the injustice and damages that you have had to go through with a medical malpractice lawsuit. Actions always speak better than words. Consult with us today and don’t miss this opportunity to fight back.
References:
https://umiamihealth.org/locations/uhealth-tower
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/02/22/medical-errors-third-leading-cause-of-death-in-america.html
https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/medical-standard-care-malpractice-case.html
https://www.colleran.com/medical-malpractice-lawyer/
https://www.diederichhealthcare.com/the-standard/2013-medical-malpractice-payout-analysis/
https://weatherbyhealthcare.com/blog/risk-cost-medical-malpractice-lawsuit