When someone is seriously harmed by medical malpractice, the aftermath and lasting effects of their injuries can create crushing financial implications. Many victims suffer from injuries that will impact them for the rest of their lives. Those injuries often require ongoing medical care and treatment, the cost of which can be incredibly expensive. Children injured by medical malpractice can face years of physical therapy, additional treatment, and the need for expert in-home care, forcing their parents to shoulder seemingly insurmountable financial and time commitment burdens in order to care for their child. The aftermath of a medical malpractice incident tends to have a ripple effect through the family and directly impacts not only the victim but the family as a whole. In this blog, we will examine the various financial implications that acts of medical malpractice can create.
The Long-Term Impact of Medical Malpractice
Medical malpractice can result in serious, life-altering injuries. Many victims and their families face some kind of long-term impact. These impacts may last months, years, decades, or even entire lifetimes. When medical malpractice leaves a victim with irreversible damage, they are often unable to return to the lives they once lived. In the case of children who experience birth injuries, they may require constant care and face a life that is much different from what their parents had imagined for them. The physical implications of medical malpractice alone may leave patients unable to work, speak, ambulate, care for themselves, or live independently. These physical implications may be the direct result of instances of medical malpractice like surgical errors, post-operative infections, missed or delayed diagnoses, or medication errors. While the physical implications of injuries can be significant, they are typically not the only type of lasting impact victims encounter.
Victims of medical malpractice and their families often also face psychological impacts. When the course of your life or your child’s life is altered, you may experience lasting physiological implications like depression, PTSD, and anxiety. The emotional toll can prove to be even more difficult to deal with than the physical injuries of a medical malpractice event. Family members may also experience emotional and psychological effects from a loved one’s injuries, like an overwhelming sense of guilt or failure, disruption or permanent alteration to their lives or feelings of shattered trust. Psychological injuries may have additional far-reaching implications, including social and behavioural impacts. Victims and their loved ones can begin to feel isolated or become fearful of the outside world. This may impact their ability to interact with friends, family, and coworkers as they did before the medical malpractice event.
Physical injuries and psychological injuries often cause financial burdens as victims and families seek treatment, therapy, medication, and medical care. Physical injuries can sometimes be so severe that huge financial investments are required in order to make a home livable for a patient who can no longer ambulate. Victims or loved ones who have been forced to leave their employment, can face financial conundrum where they no longer have a source of income but have increasing bills and financial responsibilities.
Financial Burdens Faced by Medical Malpractice Victims
Medical malpractice can alter the lives and lifestyles of victims and their families. The impact means that adjustments and treatment are required in order to provide palliative or curative care. These can come in a variety of forms and very often have a price tag associated with them. The ongoing and often complex physical and psychological implications of a serious medical malpractice event may present financial burdens that include:
Ongoing Medical and Psychological Care and Treatment
- Counselling
- Psychological treatment
- Physical therapy
- Specialist care provided by a provider not enrolled with MSP, including:
- Audiologist
- Neurologist
- Orthopaedist
- Nutritionist
- Psychiatrist
- Social Worker
- Any other services not covered by British Columbia’s Medical Services Plan (MSP)
Travel to and from Healthcare Appointments
- Parking
- Mileage
- Rideshare or taxi
- Public transportation
Medication and Assistive Medical Device and Treatment
- Medications not covered by provincial government funding or private insurance
- Respiratory devices
- Nebulizer systems
- Humidifiers
- Joint braces
- Topical treatments
- Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) units
- Heating pads
- Cold packs
Mobility Equipment or Furniture
- Wheelchairs
- Walkers
- Scooters
- Crutches
- Canes
- Orthotics
- Gait trainers
- Mobility trainers
- Lift standers
- Mobility accessories:
- Gait and transfer belts
- Trays
- Wheelchair positioning accessories
- Baskets
- Drink holders
- Leg lifters
- Safety alarm
- Wheelchair blanket
- Oxygen tank holder
- Gloves
- Incontinence drainage bag holder
- Spare wheels
- Battery packs
- Seat belt
- Cushion cover
- Cane holder
- Rollators
Physical Therapy Equipment
- Motor activity devices
- Trampoline
- Stationary/recumbent bike
- Rowing machine
- Treadmill
- Inversion tables
- Balance boards
- Exercise balls
- Foam wedge block
- Exercise mats
- Weights
- Resistance bands
Avocational and Recreational Activities and Equipment
- Aqua therapy
- Hydrotherapy pools
- Pediatric bikes
- Specialized programs
- Recreational facilities or gym memberships
Alternative Therapy and Treatment
- Acupuncture
- Massage therapy
- Yoga/meditation
- Cupping
- Supplements/vitamins
Upkeep of a Home and Property
- Cleaning services
- Lawn care
- Home maintenance
- Home repair services
Home or Vehicle Modifications
- Wheelchair accessible ramps
- Widening of entrance ways to allow for wheelchair access
- Widening of hallways to allow for wheelchair access
- Fingerprint recognition door locks
- Emergency exit installation or modification
- Driveway levelling or paving
- Safety gates
- Security system installation or modification
- Elevators
- Chair lifts
- New flooring installation
- Grab bars
- Bathroom modifications, including bathtub or walk-in shower installation
- New wheelchair accessible vehicle purchase
- Modifications to an existing vehicle:
- Swivel seats
- Specialized seat belts
- Grab/handle bars
- Gas/brake pedal modifications
- Steering modifications
Dining/Feeding Supplies
- Can/jar openers
- Utility carts
- Food chopper
- Suction for kitchen devices
- Pivoting knife
- Long-handled cleaning supplies
- Grabbers
- Ergonomic kitchen supplies
- Cut resistant gloves
Home/Bath Supplies
- Shower stool/chair
- Bedside toilet
- Bath lift
- Shower rail
- Transfer boards/slides
- Zero gravity chair
- Bed wedges
- Specialized mattress/mattress systems
- Desk
- Writing utensil grips
- Sitting cushions
- Backrest
- Positioning chairs
- Strollers
- Feeder seats
- High/low back toilet support
- Incontinence supplies
- Fans
- Motion sensors
In-Home Nursing and Healthcare
- Lost income from a loved one quitting their job in order to provide care
- Private nursing care
- Personal support worker
- Disability support worker
- In-home rehabilitation
Vocational or Educational Assistance
- Vocational rehabilitation
- Vocational training
- Remote or in-home tutoring
- In-home education services
- Access to specialized programs
- Educational software programs
Assistive Technology
- Computers
- Computer programs
- Access to software systems
- Printers
- Talking devices
- Reading devices
- Cochlear implant
Clothing
- Custom/adaptive clothing
- Custom footwear
- Modified undergarments
- No-slip socks
If the medical malpractice event resulted in the death of a loved one, additional financial burdens are laid upon the family. Those costs may include:
- Viewing and service fees
- Transportation fees
- Casket or urn
- Burial
- Cremation
- Funeral plot
- Headstone/grave marker
Compensation Medical Malpractice Victims Can Recover
The oppressive weight of the medical malpractice incident itself and the overwhelming costs that come in its aftermath often become a key factor for medical malpractice victims in the decision to reach out to a lawyer. A common question that victims and their families have is what compensation may be available to them for the losses that they have suffered. An experienced lawyer will help you recover as much compensation as possible. That amount will be based upon your specific circumstances, including the injuries and losses you suffered. The most common types of damages in a medical malpractice case include:
- Current and future medical expenses
- Cost of ongoing health care, including care from specialists
- Therapy cost
- Counselling cost
- Cost of mobility aids like a wheelchair or cane
- Medication costs
- Cost of the upkeep of a home and property
- Cost to modify a home or vehicle to make it wheelchair accessible
- Cost for in-home nursing and healthcare
- Travel costs to and from healthcare appointments, including parking and mileage
- Cost for vocational training or rehabilitation
- Past and future income loss
- Loss of earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Lost years
- Loss of enjoyment of life
If the medical malpractice incident resulted in the death of a loved one, you can also pursue damages for a wrongful death claim. Additional damages in those cases may include:
- Loss of economic support
- Loss of support and society
- Loss of household contributions
- Loss of inheritance
- Funeral and burial or cremation costs
Awards for these types of damages serve to help medical malpractice victims and their families recover from the financial burdens they have faced and may continue to face as a result of their injuries. While no financial award can remove the pain associated with the loss of a loved one or the alterations to an expected life path, they can help to ease the additional burdens faced after the incident and give victims the opportunity to focus on recovering or grieving.
You Need an Experienced Medical Malpractice Lawyer on Your Side
It is imperative that medical malpractice victims contact a lawyer to help them file their claim as soon as possible. Klein Lawyers helps medical malpractice victims with our no fee guarantee. If we are not able to obtain compensation on your behalf, you pay no fee. We understand that you are already facing financial losses and ongoing burdens, and our aim is to make the litigation process as easy on you as possible. We will work alongside you, navigating the legal process, so you can focus on recovery. We are committed to obtaining fair compensation for victims of medical malpractice, allowing you to put the pieces of your life back together as much as possible without the additional strain of financial worries.
We have over 20 years of success and experience in the legal field. During that time, we have worked hard to earn the trust and respect of Canadians who need legal representation. Working with an experienced lawyer is critical, and our team understands the trust clients place in us when representing them. We value that trust and feel honoured that so many clients choose our law firm to fight for them. We are passionate about obtaining the best possible outcome for our clients. While we know it is never easy, we will not stop standing up to medical professionals who harm individuals through their negligence.
Compassionate Legal Representation
Klein Lawyers handles medical malpractice cases, has a stellar reputation, and has an outstanding track record. We understand how to identify instances of malpractice where diagnostic errors and negligence harmed innocent victims. We have the resources, knowledge, and experience Canadians need to get the justice and compensation they deserve.
We will start by conducting an in-depth investigation of the evidence in your case. We will take the time to really listen to your story, obtain and review any needed records, and thoroughly evaluate your potential claim. We will get to know you as a person and truly understand all the ways medical malpractice has impacted your routines, finances, and mental and physical health. During the case, we will retain key medical experts to establish the critical details of the injury that occurred. We strive to make this process as easy for you as possible, shouldering as much weight as we can. Our aim is that you focus on your life while we focus on your case.
We keep you informed throughout the entire case, so you never feel like you are in the dark. We want you to understand what is going on and feel comfortable asking any questions along the way. Too often, we hear concerns expressed from potential clients about what the process will be like, what they will need to do, how often they will hear from their lawyers, and what will be expected of them. We will make it clear right from the start. You will know what to expect, and we will stay true to our commitment to you. Communication and transparency are important to our team, and you will recognize that as our client.
Contact Us Today
Contact the Klein Lawyers team today at (604) 874-7171 for a free consultation of your claim with a Vancouver medical malpractice lawyer. We serve clients throughout British Columbia and Canada. There is no obligation, and your consultation is completely confidential. We’re here to help victims of medical malpractice receive the justice they deserve.
