Medical malpractice lawyers serving Coral Springs, FL and the surrounding area with over five years of focused experience in negligence claims against health care providers.
If you or someone you love was harmed by a medical provider in Coral Springs, you may be dealing with a physical condition and mental trauma from trusting a provider that failed to take care of you as they should. Our Coral Springs, FL medical malpractice lawyer represents patients harmed by the providers they trusted. At the Andres Lopez Law Firm, we handle these cases on a contingency basis, meaning you pay no attorney fees unless we recover compensation for you. Contact our office to schedule a free consultation.
Medical Malpractice Lawyer Coral Springs, FL
What does it mean to have grounds for a medical malpractice case? Many people assume that a bad outcome or diagnosis is enough. Florida law requires proof that a health care provider strayed from the accepted standard of care and that this mistake caused your injury.
A standard of care is the level of care that a reasonably competent provider, in the same specialty, would have delivered under similar circumstances. When a surgeon, physician, or other provider falls below that threshold and a patient suffers as a result, a malpractice claim may exist. These cases require careful review of medical records, consultation with qualified professionals, and a thorough understanding of both the medicine and the law.
Types of Medical Malpractice Cases We Handle in Coral Springs
Medical negligence can take many different forms. Below are the primary case types our firm handles in Coral Springs and across Broward County.
- Surgical errors. Mistakes that occur during an operation, including wrong-site surgeries, unintended injuries to surrounding tissue, and retained instruments. These cases often involve serious, long-term complications that require additional corrective procedures.
- Misdiagnosis and failure to diagnose. When a provider fails to identify a condition, or diagnoses the wrong illness, treatment is either delayed or misdirected. Cancer misdiagnosis, missed strokes, and undetected infections are among the most common scenarios that lead to permanent harm.
- Medication errors. Prescribing the wrong drug, incorrect dosage, or failing to account for dangerous interactions are mistakes that can cause serious injury, particularly for patients managing chronic conditions. Our firm has handled cases involving radiology errors and misreads that altered a patient’s entire treatment path.
- Anesthesia errors. Administering too much or too little anesthesia, or failing to monitor a patient’s vitals throughout a procedure, can result in brain damage, cardiac events, or death.
- Birth injuries. Negligent care during labor and delivery can cause lasting harm to mother or child, including oxygen deprivation and nerve damage that affect the child’s development long-term.
- Failure to obtain informed consent. Before a procedure, a provider is obligated to explain its risks so the patient can make a meaningful decision. When that explanation is insufficient and the patient is harmed by a risk they weren’t informed about, that failure can give rise to a claim.
- Hospital negligence. Hospitals carry independent obligations beyond the individual physicians practicing within them. Staffing failures, infection control lapses, and faulty equipment can all create institutional liability.
- Psychiatric malpractice. Negligent care in mental health settings, including improper medication management and failure to prevent foreseeable harm, is a recognized area of medical liability.
Why Choose Andres Lopez Law Firm for Medical Malpractice in Coral Springs, FL?
Experience With Florida Medical Malpractice Law
Attorney Andres Lopez has been practicing law since 2006 in Maryland and since 2009 in Florida. He has handled personal injury cases across South Florida for over a decade, including medical malpractice claims that required navigating Florida’s pre-suit investigation requirements and working with qualified medical professionals to build the evidentiary record a case demands. He is licensed in Florida and Maryland, and admitted to the Southern District of Florida, Middle District of Florida, District Court of Maryland, and the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Attorney Lopez was named a Florida Rising Star in 2015 and 2016 through Super Lawyers, a recognition reserved for a small percentage of attorneys in the state. He is also a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, limited to attorneys who have achieved million-dollar or multi-million-dollar verdicts and settlements.
Results That Make A Difference
Our firm’s results reflect millions of dollars recovered for clients across personal injury and medical malpractice matters, including an $875,000 recovery on a psychiatric malpractice claim. We handle medical malpractice claims on contingency., so there are no attorney fees unless we recover compensation. Clients in Coral Springs and across Broward County can reach our office through our 24/7 live call answering line.
Understanding Medical Malpractice Cases in Florida
Damages, Liability, and Compensation for Medical Malpractice Cases
Medical malpractice damages in Florida fall into two broad categories, including economic and non-economic. Economic damages are the calculable financial losses stemming from negligent care. These damages include:
- Past and future medical expenses caused by the harm
- Lost income from time missed during treatment and recovery
- Projected future lost earnings if the injury affects long-term earning capacity
- Costs of ongoing rehabilitation or assistive care
Non-economic damages cover harm that doesn’t come with a receipt, such as pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, emotional distress, and permanent disfigurement or disability. In cases where negligence caused a death, surviving family members may also pursue a wrongful death claim.
Important Aspects of a Medical Malpractice Case
These cases are more involved than most personal injury claims. Before the following elements are considered, a patient must understand what makes this type of case distinct from a general negligence claim:
- Standard of care. The central question is whether the provider delivered care consistent with what a similarly trained professional would have provided. This is established through qualified medical testimony.
- Causation. A deviation from the standard of care alone isn’t enough. The deviation must have directly caused the injury. In cases where the underlying condition may have caused some harm regardless, causation analysis becomes complex.
- Pre-suit requirements. Florida law requires a pre-suit investigation and notice before a malpractice lawsuit can be filed, which adds procedural steps not present in other civil matters.
- Medical records. Your records are the foundation of the claim. Inconsistencies, missing entries, or altered documentation can become significant in litigation.
- Expert review. A qualified professional in the same specialty must review the facts and conclude that negligence occurred. This happens before a lawsuit is filed.
Medical Malpractice Case Timeline
Every case moves differently, but generally, a medical malpractice timeline involves these steps listed below:
- Initial consultation and intake. You meet with our firm, share what happened, and provide access to your medical records.
- Pre-suit investigation. Florida requires a structured investigation before filing. Our office coordinates this process, including review by a qualified professional who can opine on the standard of care.
- Pre-suit notice. We send formal notice to the provider before filing, as Florida law requires, and the provider then has 90 days to respond.
- Filing the lawsuit. If the matter is not resolved pre-suit, we file the complaint and litigation begins.
- Discovery and depositions. Both sides exchange evidence, take depositions, and work with expert witnesses.
- Resolution. Cases resolve through settlement or trial.
What to Bring to Your Medical Malpractice Consultation
You don’t need everything organized before you have a consultation done. We suggest bringing what you have been able to gather so far. The following details are particularly helpful during your appointment:
- Medical records related to the care in question, if you have access to them.
- A written timeline of what happened, including names of providers involved.
- Records of any additional treatment you sought after discovering the problem.
- Documentation of financial losses, including missed work or out-of-pocket costs.
Florida Legal Resources for Medical Malpractice Cases
Florida’s medical malpractice laws are among the more detailed in the country. The resources below can help you locate the relevant statutes and understand how they apply:
- Florida Statute § 766.104: Addresses the pre-suit investigation and certificate of counsel requirements specific to medical negligence cases.
- Florida Statute § 766.102: The claimant must prove by the greater weight of evidence that the provider’s actions represented a breach of the prevailing professional standard of care. That standard is defined as the level of care, skill, and treatment recognized as acceptable and appropriate by reasonably prudent similar health care providers in light of all relevant surrounding circumstances.
- Florida Statute § 766.2021: Limitation on Damages Against Insurers, HMOs, and Prepaid Health Clinics Addresses separate damage limitations that apply specifically when claims are brought against health insurers, HMOs, or prepaid health service organizations rather than directly against practitioners.
Reach Out to Andres Lopez Law Firm to Schedule a Consultation
If you are dealing with a potential medical malpractice case, we recommend getting legal assistance as soon as you can. At the Andres Lopez Law Firm, there are no attorney fees unless we recover compensation on your behalf. Our office has 24/7 live call answering, so you don’t have to wait for a response. Contact us to schedule a free consultation with a medical malpractice attorney in Coral Springs, FL.