Any time you step into a hospital or clinic, you're entitled to expect a reasonable standard of medical care. While the vast majority of patients are treated in ways that match or exceed this standard, the unfortunate reality is that many others experience sub-standard care. In extreme cases, this sub-standard care may be legally classified as negligent, and the patient who has experienced further injury, suffering, or a worsening condition as a direct result may decide to file a personal injury claim. If you have found yourself in such a situation, take a look below to discover three ways that a personal injury lawyer can assist you in pursuing a successful claim.

1. Showing Negligence

A medical malpractice suit can't simply be brought about by claiming that you are unhappy with the results of a procedure, or that you feel the doctor attending to you could have done better. You'll have to explicitly demonstrate in court that the doctor or healthcare professional in question provided care that was incompetent and careless compared to their peers. In order to do this, your attorney will likely call upon healthcare experts who can put a doctor's actions up against an established set of medical guidelines or agreements. Without this expert testimony, it's often quite difficult to prove negligence in the first place.

2. Dealing with Damages

Once you have established negligence, you'll also want to list the damages for which you expect to be compensated. This can include things as varied as medical bills or wages lost because of your inability to work for extended periods of time. An attorney can help you to not only itemize these damages, but help quantify other, less concrete, claims such as those of 'pain and suffering'. Without an attorney to assist you in filing these details, it may be unrealistic to expect restitution for all of your damages.

3. Navigating Pretrial Panels

In many states, suing a healthcare provider carries with it a unique set of obstacles that don't apply to other types of lawsuits. Plaintiffs in these states are required to present their evidence for review before a pretrial panel of medical experts and attorneys. These panels exist primarily to ward off frivolous malpractice suits from clogging up the court system and can be demanding in their own right. While getting through one is not a guarantee that your case will ultimately be successful, having an attorney by your side during the pretrial process can be invaluable. 

Contact services like Siben & Siben LLP for more information.