Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Frequently, suicide is preventable, when competent healthcare providers do their jobs right. If a professional provider knows, or should know, that a patient is at risk of dying by suicide, s/he has a duty to take reasonable steps to prevent the suicide. The reasonableness of the steps taken depends upon the extent of the patient’s risk.
Hospital suicides are all too common, usually by hanging. Therefore, staffers have a duty to restrict patient access to lethal means, to closely and constantly monitor the patient to ensure that the patient is receiving proper treatment, and to keep all staff members informed of the patient’s condition and risk for suicide.
Likewise, mental health professionals have a duty to take reasonable steps to prevent suicide. These individuals count on these professionals to help them through this moment of suicidal crisis, so that they can go on living.
Unfortunately, doctors, nurses, and other hospital staff members can and do make bad decisions about patient safety. Their errors often have the opposite result of effective treatment by worsening suicidal feelings. If you lost a loved one due to the negligence of a medical provider who failed to prevent suicide, contact a lawyer who puts families first.
That’s the kind of lawyer you’ll find at Freidin Brown, P.A. Our compassionate Port St. Lucie preventable suicide lawyers understand the emotional loss that a suicide means to a family. Many of the people on our professional team have gone through similar experiences. So, we feel passionate about the legal and financial rights of survivors. No amount of money fills the void, but quite frankly, money helps.
Negligence Basics
We mentioned the duty of care in a medical negligence case above. Overall, doctors and other medical professionals have a fiduciary duty. They must disregard everything else and only focus on patient health and safety.
A breach of duty is a lack of care. The duty of care is so high in medical negligence cases that doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals have very little margin for error. Any mistake, no matter how slight, is usually negligence.
Cause, the third element, means both factual cause and legal cause. Factual cause, or but-for causation, is a connection between the breach and the damages. Legal causation is foreseeability (possibility) of injury.
As for damages, as mentioned, no amount of money can fill the void a suicide leaves. However, money damages help survivors move on with their lives. That’s what the decedent would have wanted.
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What to Expect in a Medical Malpractice Claim
If liability, damages, and other issues are perfectly clear, the defendant has a legal duty to quickly settle the claim. However, questions usually abound in one or both areas. Therefore, to pressure the insurance company into a fair settlement, most attorneys file legal paperwork. This move also preserves the victim’s legal rights.
Discovery usually comes next. For the most part, the lawyers sort through the evidence in the case during discovery. Victims must frequently submit to medical examinations, give their depositions, and produce certain documents.
Usually, a third-party mediator helps the two sides resolve medical malpractice claims out of court. Mediators dispassionately review and evaluate claims and defenses. Mediators also ensure that both sides negotiate in good faith. Because of this professional intervention, mediation is about 90 percent successful.
You and your staff are simply the best. Jonathan I would like to say I proud of the manner in which you conducted yourself toward my family matter. You are my mentor and someone that I look up to. . . . I will always remember you and would highly recommend you to any family and friends. We appreciate everything you did for us. Staying with us. Being patient with us. And, most importantly believing in us. Our family will forever have a feeling of gratitude for all that you have done. I have tremendous respect and appreciation for Phil Freidin. He is a powerful and kind lawyer. He has proven to me that he genuinely cares about his clients; however, he is a force to be reckoned with in the conference and court rooms. Jonathan impressed me with his professionalism and expertise! Jonathan and Lizy handled my Medical Malpractice case with skill and secured a favorable outcome! They were responsive and kept me informed throughout my process. I highly recommend them to my Family and Friends! They were not even able to take on my case, but the person who did my intake and the lawyer I spoke to were incredibly validating, kind, and helpful. I appreciated the care and time they gave me even when I did not become a client. Jonathan, Phil, and the rest of the Freidin Brown attorneys were both professional and compassionate. They were always responsive to my family and me, and they have a deep dedication to their clients. I highly recommend the great lawyers at this firm! My experience with Freidin Brown was above my expectations. Philip Freidin took my case and settlement to finish line with amazing results. I highly recommend this Law Firm. Our family was referred to Freidin Brown by another attorney who could not handle our case and from day one we felt like we were in good hands. Johnathan Freidin was always available and willing to answer any questions we had. We are extremely happy with the results of our case and would recommend this team in a heartbeat. Had the pleasure of working with Andrew this year. He was very knowledgeable, but most importantly, he asked questions and listened to truly understand MY needs. Would definitely use this team again.
Reach Out to a Compassionate St. Lucie County Lawyer
Injury victims are entitled to substantial compensation. For a free consultation with an experienced Port St. Lucie preventable suicide lawyer, contact Freidin Brown, P.A. We do not charge upfront legal fees in these matters.
