Oxford Medical Malpractice Lawyers

Oxford Medical Malpractice Lawyers

Advocating for Mississippi victims of medical negligence since 1982

Injuries from preventable medical mistakes are one of the leading causes of death in the United States. It is an incredible paradox that we have one of the most advanced health care systems in the world, yet patients are dying and suffering serious injury needlessly because of the negligence of medical professionals.

At Merkel & Cocke, we help you pursue the most favorable recovery when you are hurting because of a preventable medical error. Come and talk to us about your case. We extend free consultations to our neighbors and friends in Oxford, MS., where we will evaluate your case and present your legal options. You do not have to worry about attorney fees because you do not pay unless we recover compensation for you.

How do I know if my injury qualifies as medical malpractice?

That is an excellent question because not every preventable medical error will rise to the level of malpractice. Doctors, being human, make mistakes. Medical malpractice, which is a legal action for medical negligence, has a few required elements that must be present before it can be considered medical malpractice:

  • There must be a doctor-patient relationship which establishes the doctor or other medical professional's duty of care (legal obligation) to the patient.
  • The physician's actions or failure to act was a breach of the standard of care expected of medical professionals
  • The breach of the standard of care was the direct cause of the injury.
  • The patient suffered damages because of the medical professional's negligence

Types of medical malpractice

There are countless types of medical mistakes. A few of the more common ones include

  • Diagnostic errors
  • Anesthesia mistakes
  • Surgical errors
  • Medication/prescription errors
  • Emergency room mistakes
  • Failure to treat
  • Wrong side/wrong site/wrong patient
  • Labor and delivery mistakes
  • Birth injuries
  • Failure of informed consent
  • Medical equipment malfunction

What if I can't afford a medical malpractice attorney?

If you have been injured because of medical negligence, you are in pain and unable to work you may be wondering how you will be able to afford to hire a medical malpractice attorney to represent you. You might be happy to know that it will not cost you any money up front to hire an Oxford medical malpractice attorney from the law firm of Merkel & Cocke. We accept injury cases on a contingency fee basis. This means that you will not pay attorney fees until we have recovered compensation for you.

So, you have no need to worry about being able to afford an experienced medical malpractice attorney who will investigate your case, determine fault and then we make sure that those responsible for your injuries are held liable. You can feel confident that you are being represented by a firm which operates as a team of attorneys with more than 200 years of combined legal experience on your behalf.

Merkel & Cocke, P.A.’s successful medical malpractice case verdicts and settlements

Our skilled medical malpractice attorneys have been obtaining justice on behalf of our clients since 1982. Here are some examples of some of our verdicts and settlements for clients injured by medical professionals:

  • $23.6 Million Jury Award for Medical Malpractice Involving Failure to Diagnose Breast Cancer. In a collaboration with two other law firms, Merkel & Cocke obtained a jury verdict for $23,600,000 from a Shelby County, Tennessee jury against a doctor for her negligence in failing to diagnose breast cancer in a timely way. At the time of the award, it was the largest medical malpractice verdict in Tennessee history.
  • $3 million is settlements for medical malpractice involving a ruptured ectopic pregnancy. Our client had an ectopic pregnancy, which an ER doctor failed to diagnose. Her fallopian tube ruptured causing a massive internal bleed, which resulted in severe brain damage.
  • $3 million medical malpractice settlements for client's improper cancer diagnosis. Our clients were diagnosed with and treated for prostate cancer that they did not have.
  • $1.5 million medical malpractice settlement for pulmonary embolism death. This was a wrongful death settlement for the failure to diagnose a pulmonary embolism from which the patient died.
  • $2 million medical malpractice settlement in failure to diagnose Cancer. Imaging results indicating the presence of cancer that was treatable, but due to the delay our client's tumor grew and his prognosis worsened.

How much is my medical negligence case worth?

Asking how much a medical negligence injury case is worth is one of the most common questions we hear clients ask. It is natural to be curious at the outset about how much compensation you might be able to expect, but it is impossible to know in the beginning. The compensation you will receive if your case is successful will be based on several factors such as the nature of the medical mistake, the severity of your injury, the amount of your medical bills, and the lasting impact of your injury on your ability to function in your life and do your job.

Rather than focusing on how much money you might recover, you might focus your energy on finding the best, most qualified Oxford injury attorney to work with. Your choice of lawyer for your medical negligence case will make all the difference in whether you prevail and how much compensation you receive.  You can expect to receive both economic (quantifiable) and non-economic damages such as:

  • Medical bills. You may receive compensation for your current and future medical bills, physical therapy, home health care and other ancillary medical expenses related to the medical negligence injury.
  • Lost wages. The damages may include compensation for the income you have lost while you were injured and unable to work, and while you were home recovering from your injuries.
  • Pain and suffering. This form of non-economic damages compensates you for the pain and suffering that resulted from the injury, and for how the injury effects your life.
  • Emotional distress. Different from the physical pain of the injury, emotional distress is for the lasting trauma from the incident and how it affects your life.

Your medical malpractice attorney will explain all the damages that might be applicable to your case, and what you might reasonably expect given the facts of your case.

If you have been hurt because of medical negligence in Oxford, you can call us

At Merkel & Cocke, we understand the difficulty and disappointment that can come when you find you have been injured because of medical negligence. We handle these cases on a contingency basis so that you can focus on healing rather than worrying about attorneys’ fees.  You may contact our compassionate legal team today at 662-627-9641 or complete our contact form to schedule free consultation. We proudly serve injured clients throughout Mississippi, and in Tennessee and Arkansas.

Types of Cases We Handle

Our Oxford attorneys handle a variety of cases, including:

Related Articles

Oxford Office

2090 Old Taylor Road
Suite 207
Oxford, MS 38655
Phone: 662-236-0080

[Directions]