Despite Australia’s proud standing as one of the world’s wealthiest economies, a shocking number of our citizens are still badly let down by an overstretched health service every year. If you’ve been unfortunate enough to fall victim to medical negligence or medical malpractice, it’s imperative that you seek professional assistance as soon as possible in order to claim compensation and protect your future.
The immediate aftermath of a medical negligence event is, of course, a highly stressful time for all concerned, and you want to be sure that your case is in the best possible hands. It’s also not always easy assessing the merits of different medical negligence compensation lawyers in the heat of the moment. With that in mind, we’ve prepared a short list of key questions to have in your head before entrusting a medical negligence law firm with your case.
1. Can You Briefly Talk Me Through Your Professional Credentials?
Any competent and established medical negligence lawyer should be more than happy to take a few moments at the begin of your consultation to clearly and succinctly cover their professional accreditations and history. Any resistance to answering this question is a major red flag, so do not be afraid to ask it simply and plainly.
2. What Is Your Track Record With Similar Previous Cases?
Here again, you should expect a straightforward answer to a straightforward question. Professional medical negligence lawyers will have covered a vast array of scenarios over time and be able to expertly guide you through a broad overview of how cases similar to your own are typically handled.
They should also have no problem with letting you know the amount of similar cases they’ve handled, and what their overall win or settlement rate was. Remember, you’re looking for impartial experience and expertise here, so you should be expecting a realistic assessment of your case’s overall merits in the context of an established track record. They should also be able to walk you through the timeline of a typical similar case.
3. Are There Previous Clients I Can Reach Out To?
While confidentiality should obviously be a given for every medical claims lawyer, many firms do have individual clients who have agreed to share their experience with others in order to help them best face into what can be a very traumatic time. It’s always worth asking if there is such a person available to touch base with.
4. What Will The Fee Structure Look Like?
Having already been let down by one branch of the professional classes, you will be understandably keen to be as clear about costs and fees as possible in advance. A reliable medical negligence lawyer should take this as a given, and be prepared to outline all possible scenarios relating to fees in easily understandable language.
5. What Type Of Resources Can You Bring To Bear On My Case?
Medical law is a complex jurisdiction that often involves mastering several disparate areas of knowledge and expertise in order to bring about a successful conclusion to a case. First of all, you want to be certain that the medical malpractice lawyer you’re talking to will actually be handling the case themselves, rather than palming off the bulk of the work to another firm. You also want to be sure they have access to an appropriate mix of medical investigators and expert witnesses to prepare the best possible case.
At Gerard Malouf & Partners Medical Negligence Claims Lawyers, we have decades of experience across literally thousands of medical negligence cases to lean on in helping you achieve the compensation you deserve. We’re also happy to talk you through specifically relevant answers to the five questions above in depth during an entirely free face-to-face consultation or telephone call. Contact us today to take the next step.
