Dunlap Medical Malpractice Lawyer

Trusted Medical Malpractice Lawyers in Dunlap, Tennessee

Dunlap Medical Malpractice Attorney

When we seek medical care, we place our trust in doctors, nurses, and healthcare professionals to provide safe and effective treatment. In most cases, these professionals deliver high-quality care, improving and even saving lives. However, medical mistakes do happen, and when they do, the consequences can be devastating. If you have suffered serious injury or loss due negligence or medical error, you have the right to seek compensation. Our Dunlap medical malpractice lawyer is ready to offer expert guidance and legal support to help you navigate your case.

At Elizabeth Greer Adams Law Group, we are dedicated to helping victims of medical malpractice in Dunlap, Sequatchie County, and the greater Chattanooga area. With over 40 years of experience, we have successfully handled complex malpractice claims, securing justice for those who have been harmed by surgical errors, misdiagnoses, medication mistakes, birth injuries, anesthesia complications, and other medical negligence cases. If you or a loved one has been harmed due to medical negligence, don’t wait to take action. Tennessee has strict time limits for filing medical malpractice claims, and acting quickly can make a difference in your case. Our experienced medical malpractice attorneys are here to provide compassionate, knowledgeable legal representation tailored to your unique situation.

Understanding Medical Malpractice and Common Claims

What Is Medical Malpractice?

Medical malpractice occurs when a healthcare professional fails to provide the appropriate standard of care, resulting in harm, injury, or even death to a patient. This negligence can take many forms, including misdiagnosis, surgical mistakes, medication errors, or improper treatment. When doctors, nurses, or hospitals fail to meet the level of care expected in their profession, patients have the right to seek compensation for the damage caused.

At Elizabeth Greer Adams Law Group, we represent clients in a wide range of medical malpractice cases, including:

Mistakes during surgery can have life-altering consequences. Common surgical errors include:

  • Operating on the wrong body part or removing the wrong organ
  • Leaving surgical instruments inside a patient
  • Causing nerve damage during surgery
  • Botched procedures leading to infection, disfigurement, or internal injuries

Emergency rooms are fast-paced, but errors made due to negligence can lead to severe harm or death. These mistakes include:

  • Failure to diagnose critical conditions such as strokes or heart attacks
  • Misdiagnosing a condition, leading to delayed or incorrect treatment
  • Failing to triage patients correctly, causing life-threatening delays in care
  • Neglecting to provide timely and proper treatment

Doctors are responsible for correctly diagnosing conditions so that patients receive proper treatment. When a serious illness is misdiagnosed or left untreated, the consequences can be severe. Common claims involve:

  • Failure to diagnose cancer, allowing the disease to progress untreated
  • Misdiagnosing heart conditions, leading to fatal heart attacks or strokes
  • Delayed diagnosis of chronic diseases, causing preventable complications

Prescribing or administering medication incorrectly can have devastating effects on a patient’s health. Common medication errors include:

  • Giving the wrong medication to a patient
  • Prescribing an improper dosage, leading to overdose or under-treatment
  • Failing to check for harmful drug interactions

When medical negligence occurs during childbirth, both the mother and baby can suffer serious, lifelong injuries. Some of the most common birth-related malpractice cases include:

  • Cerebral palsy, often caused by oxygen deprivation during delivery
  • Shoulder dystocia, leading to severe nerve damage
  • Erb’s palsy, affecting a baby’s arm movement due to birth trauma
  • Brain damage caused by delayed intervention during delivery
  • Facial paralysis due to improper use of forceps or vacuum extractors

Why Medical Malpractice Cases Are Challenging

Medical malpractice claims are among the most complex areas of personal injury law. Unlike standard injury claims, proving medical negligence requires in-depth medical knowledge, expert testimony, and extensive legal experience. Additionally, hospitals and doctors are often backed by powerful insurance companies and legal teams that work aggressively to minimize or deny claims.

Due to the difficulty and legal challenges involved, only cases involving serious injuries or wrongful death can be pursued. That’s why having an experienced Dunlap medical malpractice lawyer on your side is essential. Our firm has spent decades navigating these challenging cases, fighting for victims and their families to ensure they receive the compensation they deserve for medical expenses, lost wages, long-term care needs, and pain and suffering.

Who Can Be Held Accountable for Medical Malpractice?

In Tennessee, medical malpractice laws hold various healthcare professionals and entities accountable when their negligence causes harm to a patient. Liability is not limited to just doctors—any medical provider or facility involved in your care can be responsible if their actions (or lack of action) resulted in injury or wrongful death. Here are the main parties who can be held accountable:

Physicians and surgeons are the most commonly named defendants in medical malpractice cases. They may be held liable for:

  • Surgical errors, such as operating on the wrong body part or leaving foreign objects inside a patient
  • Misdiagnosis or failure to diagnose, leading to delayed or improper treatment
  • Medication mistakes, such as prescribing the wrong drug or dosage
  • Failure to obtain informed consent, meaning they did not properly explain the risks of a procedure

Nurses, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants play a critical role in patient care and can also be held responsible if their actions result in harm. Common examples of nursing malpractice include:

  • Administering the wrong medication or incorrect dosages
  • Failing to properly monitor a patient’s condition, leading to complications
  • Not following a doctor’s orders correctly, resulting in improper treatment

Hospitals, surgical centers, and urgent care facilities can be liable for malpractice in cases involving:

  • Inadequate staffing, leading to rushed or negligent care
  • Negligent hiring or training of staff, such as employing unqualified or poorly trained healthcare providers
  • Failure to maintain sanitary conditions, causing infections or other preventable complications

Anesthesia errors can be deadly. Anesthesiologists may be responsible if they:

  • Administer too much or too little anesthesia, leading to complications
  • Fail to properly monitor the patient’s vital signs during surgery
  • Do not account for medication interactions that could harm the patient

Pharmacists have a duty to dispense the correct medications and provide proper instructions. They can be held accountable for:

  • Filling the wrong prescription
  • Failing to warn about drug interactions
  • Giving incorrect dosage instructions, leading to overdose or underdose

Dental malpractice is also covered under Tennessee’s medical malpractice laws. Dentists and oral surgeons can be held responsible for:

  • Surgical errors leading to nerve damage or infections
  • Improper use of anesthesia, causing serious complications
  • Failure to diagnose oral diseases, such as cancer

Elderly patients in nursing homes are particularly vulnerable to medical negligence and neglect. Facilities and their staff can be held accountable for:

  • Medication errors that cause harm or death
  • Failure to prevent falls and injuries
  • Neglect leading to malnutrition, bedsores, or infections

Timeline for Filing a Medical Malpractice Claim in Tennessee

If you or someone you care about has suffered harm due to medical negligence, Tennessee law imposes strict deadlines for filing a medical malpractice claim. Understanding these timelines is crucial, as missing the deadline can prevent you from seeking compensation altogether. Our leading lawyers in medical malpractice can help ensure your claim is filed on time, gather the necessary evidence, and fight for the compensation you deserve.

1. The One-Year Statute of Limitations

In Tennessee, the general rule is that a medical malpractice claim must be filed within one year from the date of the injury or from the date the injury was discovered (or reasonably should have been discovered). This means that if a doctor’s mistake caused immediate harm, the clock starts on the date of the procedure or treatment. However, if the injury was not immediately apparent—such as a misdiagnosis that only becomes evident months later—the one-year deadline begins from the date you discovered the malpractice.

2. The Three-Year Overall Deadline (Statute of Repose)

Even if an injury is not immediately discovered, Tennessee law sets an absolute deadline of three years from the date of the medical error, regardless of when the harm was realized. This means that even if a patient doesn’t know about the malpractice until later, they cannot file a lawsuit after three years have passed—except in very limited circumstances.

3. Exceptions to the Time Limits

There are a few exceptions to these strict deadlines:

  • Fraudulent Concealment: If a doctor or healthcare provider intentionally hides their mistake, the deadline may be extended.
  • Foreign Objects Left in the Body: If a surgeon leaves a sponge, instrument, or other foreign object inside a patient, the one-year statute begins when the object is discovered, even if it’s after three years.
  • Minors and Legally Incompetent Patients: Special rules may apply if the patient is a child or legally incapacitated at the time of the injury.

4. Pre-Suit Notice Requirement

Before officially filing a lawsuit, Tennessee law requires that you notify the healthcare provider at least 60 days in advance. This pre-suit notice must include specific information about the claim and be sent within the statute of limitations period. Failing to follow this step properly can result in your case being dismissed.

Why Acting Quickly Matters

Medical malpractice cases are complex and require extensive investigation, medical records, and expert testimony. Because of the strict deadlines and legal requirements, it’s crucial to contact an experienced Tennessee medical malpractice lawyer as soon as possible. Our attorneys can ensure your case is filed on time and help you pursue the compensation you deserve.

Contact an Experienced Tennessee Medical Malpractice Attorney Today

If you have questions about medical negligence or need to discuss your case with a knowledgeable Dunlap medical malpractice lawyer, we are here to help. Our firm is dedicated to maximizing your compensation and ensuring you receive the justice you deserve. Schedule a free, confidential consultation today by calling us at (423) 949-3621 in the Dunlap area or (423) 775-3621 in the Dayton area. If you prefer, you can also fill out our intake form, and we will respond promptly.

At our firm, experience matters. We provide personalized legal representation and take the time to answer all your questions. Our dedicated team of medical malpractice attorneys are committed to protecting your rights and interests every step of the way. Contact us today to learn how we can assist you.