Bossier City Medical Malpractice Lawyer

Trusted Medical Malpractice Attorney in Bossier City, LA

Filing a medical malpractice claim can feel like a daunting task, especially when you’re going up against an established medical facility. Fortunately, you don’t have to navigate the process on your own if you plan to file a claim. In fact, it’s highly advised that you contact a Bossier City medical malpractice lawyer you can trust right away.

For decades, that lawyer has been Attorney Jacqueline Scott. With 35+ years of legal experience under her belt alone, she’s got your back.

Jacqueline A. Scott & Associates is a local law firm that is ready to handle any medical malpractice case with ease. As a team, we have nearly eight decades of injury law experience that we’re ready to put to work for you.

Our team is comfortable with the administrative and legal aspects of the medical malpractice process in Louisiana. We’re familiar with state laws and have in-depth experience navigating hearings with medical review panels (MRPs) and advocating for our clients in the courtroom if it comes down to it.

If you’re filing your claim in Bossier City, you can expect to handle your case through the 26th Judicial District Court. Whether you’re settling matters out of court or entering litigation, it’s highly recommended that you hire a medical malpractice lawyer to help you.

Louisiana Medical Malpractice Laws

It’s possible to sustain an injury in countless different ways as you live your life. Unintentional injuries can result in serious losses, including injury or even death. Unfortunately, it’s possible to sustain a serious or even fatal injury when visiting a hospital or other medical facility to take care of an injury.

Louisiana’s medical malpractice laws pertain to situations where a medical professional or institution is liable for a patient or other party’s harm or injury. If you or a loved one are injured or otherwise harmed due to the actions or negligence of a healthcare provider, you may have grounds to file a medical malpractice claim and recover damages for your losses.

Under Louisiana law, medical malpractice claims have to be filed up to a year after the incident or from when you discovered or reasonably could have discovered your losses. The absolute latest you can file a claim of this nature is three years, and that is usually under specific circumstances only.

If you attempt to file a claim outside the statute of limitations, your case is extremely likely to be dismissed. You want to move as quickly as possible in these types of cases. It’s highly advised that you contact a Bossier City medical malpractice lawyer right away to initiate the claims process.

In Louisiana, you can file a medical malpractice claim against:

• Ambulance operators
• Certified nurse assistants
• Community blood centers
• Doctors
• Dentists
• Hospital employees
• Hospitals
• Licensed dieticians/nutritionists
• Licensed practical nurses (LPNs)
• Nursing homes
• Physicians and surgeons
• Registered nurses (RNs)
• Technicians
• Other medical professionals

It’s not enough simply to sustain an injury at a doctor’s office or under a practitioner’s care. You must be able to prove some form of wrongdoing. A Bossier City medical malpractice attorney from Jacqueline A. Scott & Associates can help you file your claim and gather the right evidence to support it.

Filing a Medical Malpractice Claim in Bossier City, LA

Filing a medical malpractice claim is different from other types of personal injury claims. In addition to having shorter statutes of limitations, medical malpractice claims usually cannot immediately go to court.

Under the Louisiana Medical Malpractice Act, these types of claims typically must be reviewed by an MRP before an injured party can officially file a claim. Many medical malpractice claims settle out of court through negotiations or more formal dispute resolution methods like arbitration or mediation.

That said, the panel can approve your motion to file a legal claim. In this case, you can expect to enter litigation to reach a formal resolution. It’s wise to hire a medical malpractice lawyer to help you through the process.

Common Types of Medical Malpractice in Bossier City

Louisiana’s medical malpractice laws cover a wide range of situations involving a healthcare provider’s negligence or intentional misconduct. Medical providers are entrusted with the general public’s health and well-being. They have a strict duty of care to those who use their services. Any breach of this duty can lead to a medical malpractice case in Bossier City.

Our Bossier City medical malpractice attorneys at Jacqueline A. Scott & Associates have handled cases in the past involving:

• Anesthesia errors
• Birth injuries
• Delayed diagnoses
• Emergency room negligence
• Medication errors
• Misdiagnoses
• Surgical mistakes

Recently, Louisiana was named the state with the highest rate of medical malpractice in the nation. There were 502,971 reports filed in the United States in 2023.

Medical malpractice can be the result of a wide range of errors and/or intentional actions made by healthcare professionals at every level. Common causes of these types of cases in Louisiana include:

• Abuse/neglect
• Lack of consent for treatment
• Medication issues
• Misdiagnoses or delayed diagnoses
• Surgical mistakes
• System failures like understaffing

Louisiana also has unique rules for paying out these claims when compared to many other states. It’s important to understand your rights and legal options if you’re filing a medical malpractice claim. A Bossier City personal injury lawyer can help.

There are many hospitals and medical centers in the area, including:

• Willis-Knighton Bossier Hospital
• CHRISTUS Bossier Emergency Hospital
• Intensive Specialty Hospital
• Ochsner LSU Health

Regardless of whether you’re going up against an individual provider or the business as a whole, you can expect to face a complex legal battle. Medical companies and their staff are typically covered by comprehensive insurance to deal with situations like this.

Large medical institutions typically have their own legal team to undermine patients’ claims and save the company money. It’s going to be difficult for you to secure fair compensation for your losses without sound legal representation yourself.

Recoverable Damages in a Bossier City Medical Malpractice Claim

Recovering damages through a medical malpractice claim varies from other types of personal injury claims in a number of ways. For starters, damages are typically not capped in injury cases in Louisiana. Damages in medical malpractice claims, however, are capped at $500,000.

Recoverable damages in a medical malpractice case include:

• Disability/disfigurement
• Loss of consortium
• Loss of quality of life
• Lost wages and future earning capacity
• Medical expenses
• Incidentals and other out-of-pocket costs
• Pain and suffering
• Punitive damages in cases of gross negligence or intentional wrongdoing
• Wrongful death damages in the event of a death

Local Legal Representation From a Louisiana Personal Injury Lawyer You Can Trust

If you’re facing injuries or other losses from medical malpractice in Louisiana, it’s helpful to have a local legal professional on your side who has experience handling cases just like yours. Jacqueline A. Scott & Associates brings over 75 years of experience rooted in Louisiana medical malpractice and personal injury laws.

We’re familiar with both the administrative and legal aspects of a medical malpractice claim, including navigating your initial hearing with the appropriate MRP and pursuing additional legal action if necessary. As a local law firm, we’re dedicated to protecting our friends and neighbors when their healthcare providers let them down.

Founding attorney Jacqueline Scott brings over three and a half decades of experience to the table alone. Before becoming the successful personal injury lawyer she is today, she served as a(n):

• Clerk for two District Court judges
• Assistant to a Louisiana State Senator
• Paralegal instructor
• Probation officer
• Parole officer

She’s been a Top-Rated Personal Injury Attorney in Louisiana since 2003 and leads a team of experienced attorneys and legal professionals that are ready to see you through your case. Our firm leverages modern technology and stays on top of up-to-date practices and goings-on in the medical and legal fields.

This allows us to provide a high level of care to each client that walks through our door. We’re a part of organizations like:

• American Bar Association
• American Institute of Legal Advocates
• Louisiana State Bar Association
• Million Dollar Advocates Forum
• Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum
• National Bar Association
• Shreveport Bar Association*

Over the years, our team has secured $500,000,000+ for clients through settlements and judgments.** We know how to navigate the hearing process before MRPs for doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals and negotiate with company insurance providers. We regularly navigate litigation through the 26th Judicial District Court in Bossier Parish if needed.

As a local law firm, we have a vested interest in helping the members of our community. In addition to our comprehensive legal work, you can often find our attorneys participating in and volunteering at community initiatives and events.

FAQs

How Long Do I Have to File a Medical Malpractice Claim Under Louisiana Law?

How long you have to file a medical malpractice claim under Louisiana law may vary from case to case. Generally speaking, you have one year from when you discovered or reasonably could have discovered the injury to take legal action.

The latest you can file a medical malpractice claim is three years after the incident. This is a different deadline from most other types of personal injury claims. Your attorney can help you file on time and stay on track.

Do I Have to Go to Court to Settle a Medical Malpractice Case in Bossier City?

No, you do not have to go to court to settle a medical malpractice case in Bossier City. These types of cases do not automatically enter litigation. Instead, they are resolved through negotiations or mediation out of the courtroom.

Medical malpractice claims have specific pre-litigation requirements that you must complete before you can take formal legal action. You typically must first submit your claim with a medical review panel (MRP), which then issues an opinion on how to proceed.

How Much Am I Going to Pay to Hire a Medical Malpractice Lawyer in Bossier City?

How much you’re going to pay to hire a medical malpractice lawyer in Bossier City depends mostly on the complexity of your situation and whether or not the case goes to court. Costs can vary from law firm to law firm, too.

Fortunately for injured parties in these cases, Louisiana medical malpractice attorneys typically work on a contingency fee basis. This means they only collect fees for their services if you secure a settlement. How much depends on the case.

How Long Does It Take to Settle a Medical Malpractice Claim in Bossier City?

How long it takes to settle a medical malpractice claim in Bossier City depends on a number of different factors, including whether or not the claim settles out of court. Mediation and other alternative resolutions are typically much faster than litigation.

Even so, this process can take some time without the right strategy in place and legal representation to support you. Litigation often takes even longer because you must contend with packed court schedules.

Hire a Highly Experienced Medical Malpractice Lawyer to Help With Your Case in Bossier City

If you or a loved one are harmed at the hands of a healthcare provider or other medical professional, it’s critical that you understand your rights. You have legal options for holding them accountable and recovering fair compensation.

Many medical malpractice cases settle out of court, but that doesn’t mean the process is going to be easy. No matter what stage of the process you’re in, it’s wise to work with a Bossier City medical malpractice lawyer.

Our team at Jacqueline A. Scott & Associates brings over seven and a half decades of combined personal injury law experience to the table that we’re ready to put to work for you. From negotiating with medical companies and their insurance providers to advocating for injured parties through litigation, we’re here for you.

If you want to learn more about how our Bossier City medical malpractice attorneys can represent you through your case, come and visit us to talk to a member of our team about your case in more detail.

Contact our office in Bossier City to schedule an initial consultation today. We’re located on Hamilton Road near I-20. We also have another office in Shreveport.

*Awards and recognition are not guarantees of future results. Selection criteria vary by organization.

**Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Every case is different and must be evaluated on its own merits.

Bossier City, LA Medical Malpractice Resources

• What should I do when I first discover medical malpractice?