How Can A Cardiologist Be Held Responsible For Medical Malpractice?

Heart disease is fairly common in the United States. In fact, it is known to be one of the leading causes of death for people living in the US. Although heart disease is known to be prevalent among the elderly, it is also becoming common in young adults.

Doctors who are specialized in treating and preventing disorders related to the heart are called cardiologists. Some of the most common causes of death among men and women in the US include heart attacks. These deaths may involve negligence or inefficiency on the part of the cardiologist. Majority of the deaths occurring due to disorders related to the heart can be prevented with the help of medical care. It is, however, essential to consult a cardiology malpractice attorney because the death of an individual may or may not involve malpractice or negligence of the cardiologist.

Common problems associated with heart diseases that a person can suffer from, which could go undiagnosed or improperly treated, include:

  • Heart Failure
  • Arrhythmia or improper heart rhythm
  • Peripheral Arterial Disease
  • Angina Pectoris
  • Coronary Heart Disease
How to look for Damages from a Negligent Cardiologist?

The first step towards the road to recovery from the damages resulting from cardiology malpractice involves the formation of a standard procedure for treating the heart related disorder at hand. There are factors that determine the standard of care depending upon the age, gender and medical history of the patient. For instance, the differential diagnosis used by a cardiologist may be different for a healthy individual, like a 20-year-old girl, than that used for a 60-year-old man who has a habit of smoking.

An important element is causation. This is always basic to establish that the defendant’s carelessness lead to the injury of the plaintiff. Most cardiology malpractice cases require expert certification on the breach of causation and care, which can be fulfilled by an expert medical malpractice attorney.

A cardiologist can serve the purpose of an expert witness, provided his experience and qualification, impart information and expertise that cannot be given by the general public. Also, the testimony of a cardiologist helps the jury make decisions about the evidence. Those cardiologists who are board-certified are called cardiology malpractice experts. A cardiology malpractice expert can be helpful as knowledge related to the treatments and methods for heart disorders can be attained from them and they can also prove helpful in giving opinions about the method of treatment that could have been useful in the case of the plaintiff.

Hospitals can be held accountable if the employee cardiologists they hired have been involved in malpractice. The plaintiffs of cardiology malpractice cases hold the right to file lawsuits against hospitals whose cardiologists are negligent. Some cases do not involve negligence of the health care professional but the policies of the hospital are to be blamed for the harm caused to a plaintiff. Such cases develop into an institutional negligence case.

Legal malpractice attorneys in Miami can help out plaintiffs and may be able to recover economic as well as non-economic compensatory harms like mental agony, lost revenue, medical bills, suffering and pain of the plaintiff.

Case Settlements for Cardiologists Malpractice

Given below are some real examples of case settlements for cardiologist malpractice:

  • Failure to Diagnose

In case of a wrongful death, the family of a man was awarded $3 million. The cardiologist did not succeed in diagnosing the condition the victim was suffering from although it was visible in the tests. The cardiologist was thought to be inattentive and careless towards the patient.

  • Wrongful Death

In case of a 34-year old woman, a cardiologist failed to provide appropriate treatment for heart disease which resulted in the death of the patient. The family of the patient was awarded $10.8 million.

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