Santa Fe, NM Medical Malpractice Lawyer

Medical Injury Attorneys in Santa Fe

When you’re not feeling well or know it’s time for a routine checkup, you trust medical professionals to provide you with care that will help you get better or maintain your health. It can be nerve-wracking to place your care in someone else’s hands, but you expect them to have the education and attention to detail to help you to the best of their abilities. However, complications can arise when the person providing you with care makes a mistake, doesn’t have all your information, or believes you’re another patient. In these instances, you could receive treatment that you don’t need or may not be treated at all.

If your health has suffered because of a medical provider’s mistake, a Santa Fe, NM medical malpractice attorney can help you. Buckingham & Vega Law Firm is here for New Mexico residents who have been harmed because a doctor, nurse, or other medical provider has made an error. Their mistake could have caused costly, irreparable damage, and now the consequences of their mistake have fallen on you. Our dedicated team is committed to thoroughly investigating the circumstances of your situation, ensuring no detail is overlooked. We can be at your side throughout the entire legal process and fight for you to get the compensation you deserve. Our focus is on providing comprehensive support, helping to clarify any legal jargon and procedures that might seem daunting.

Contact a Santa Fe medical malpractice attorney at our firm.

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Our Results Make a Difference

Explore How We Have Helped Our Clients

$73.21 Million Verdict Birth Injury
The Buckingham & Vega legal team secured a $73.21 million verdict on behalf of a baby who was catastrophically injured due to the negligence of their doctor and medical team.
Record-Setting $72 Million Verdict Birth Injury
The Buckingham & Vega team obtained a $72 Million verdict in a birth injury case when an OB/ GYN failed to properly monitor the mom during pregnancy.
$16 Million Truck Accident
Buckingham & Vega obtained a $16 million settlement in a truck accident case. The truck driver was speeding and inattentive (texting) and crashed into the rear of a pickup truck stopped at a stoplight.
$14 Million Dram Shop Liability
Our team obtained a $14 million dram shop verdict on behalf of a client who was injured due to negligence.
$13 Million Truck Accident
Our team secured a 13 million settlement in a truck accident case. An eighteen-wheeler made an unsafe turn in front of a car driven by a grandmother and her family. The grandmother was killed and the family suffered severe injuries.
13 Million Work Injury
Buckingham & Vega represented an oilfield worker who was killed when their company failed to properly train its employees on how to safely move waste bins. Our client was killed when he became trapped between two bins.

View All Results

Types of Medical Malpractice in Santa Fe

Medical negligence can occur in a number of ways. When hospitals try to keep staff low in an effort to save money, medical providers may work multiple shifts and become fatigued, which could increase the chances of a mistake occurring. Other instances may include a doctor not having the necessary experience to deal with an issue that requires a specialist, or a surgeon may not be qualified to conduct a certain procedure. Often, systemic errors in healthcare facilities, such as poor communication between departments or inadequate electronic health records, can also lead to significant oversights. No matter what led to the error, there’s no excuse for malpractice.

A medical malpractice lawyer in Santa Fe from Buckingham & Vega Law Firm will discover how you were hurt and who was responsible. We can take on medical injury and wrongful death cases involving:

Failure to Diagnose. This is when the doctor should have been able to arrive at a diagnosis based on your existing symptoms, but they didn’t, and your condition went untreated. This oversight can lead to conditions worsening that could have been managed with timely intervention.
Misdiagnosis. Doctors may look at the symptoms you’re describing and believe you have another issue than the one you actually have. This may lead to treating the wrong ailment and could involve unnecessary medication or procedures that you did not need.
Medication Error. When you’re given the wrong medication or the wrong dosage, it could cause a severe reaction. Medication errors often occur due to mix-ups in patient charts or prescriptions, highlighting the critical need for accurate and careful administration.
Lack of Informed Consent for Surgery. You are supposed to provide written informed consent about your surgery so you know the risks and how it could possibly help you. Without a proper understanding of potential outcomes, patients cannot make informed decisions about their care.
Wrong-Site Surgery. This surgical error is when the wrong part of the body is operated on. Such errors can have catastrophic consequences, leading to severe complications and prolonged recovery times.
Anesthesia Error. If you were given anesthesia and either had too little or too much, you could have had reactions because of it. This could result in anything from mild discomfort to serious complications such as nerve damage.
Emergency Room Error. If someone is experiencing obvious signs of a critical health event in an E.R. and no one spots it, the person’s life could be put at risk. You may have been showing symptoms of a heart attack but weren’t seen as soon as possible. Quick and accurate assessments in such high-pressure environments are crucial for effective treatment.
Information Error. When patients change locations, hospitals need to have updated and correct information. Poor system communication can impede this, potentially leading to incorrect treatment plans.
Patient Chart Error. The teams of people treating you may change shifts, and your chart needs to be properly marked so the next shift knows any important updates or changes. Such errors can occur if patient information is not updated in real time or is improperly logged.

Any of these mistakes could have caused injuries like severe allergic reactions, unnecessary surgery, or the wrong care, or the patient didn’t get the care they needed in time. Recovering from malpractice can require more time in the hospital, medication, corrective surgical procedures, and a new timeline for when you’ll finish treatment. In more severe cases, medical malpractice can cause permanent disabilities or chronic issues, fundamentally impacting the patient’s quality of life. These can include long-term dependency on healthcare aids or lifestyle changes to cope with new limitations.

Your lawyer will seek full and fair compensation on your behalf for the injuries and other health issues you’ve suffered. This will include your medical bills, lost wages, diminished earning capacity, and loss of earnings, depending on how your injuries affect your ability to work. Other damages can include pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, and mental anguish, which reflect the broader impact of the injurious event on your daily experiences and overall well-being.

Before learning more about how a Santa Fe, NM medical malpractice attorney can help you, let’s look into what constitutes an eligible medical malpractice claim.

Components of a Med Mal Case in Santa Fe

When you’re considering coming forward with a medical malpractice claim, you need to first make sure that’s what occurred. Just because you weren’t satisfied with your care doesn’t mean the doctor made a mistake. There are also patients who have an ailment that will get progressively worse regardless of care. The decline in health didn’t come from the doctor’s negligence; it happened because that’s how the ailment works. Thus, it is essential to distinguish between outcomes that were the result of negligence and those that were unfortunate yet unavoidable.

In order to pursue a valid claim, your lawyer will work to establish the following points:

A doctor-patient relationship existed.
The doctor owed to treat you within the standard of care.
They deviated from the standard of care and failed to treat you as others would.
You sustained injuries and damages because of the care you received.

Your medical records, coupled with detailed input from expert witnesses, provide insight into the care you received and can help establish that you were a victim of medical malpractice. Although, even if you have these components, you still need to have your situation thoroughly reviewed. Let’s look into what that entails.

Filing a Medical Malpractice Claim in Santa Fe

If you were injured due to a medical professional’s negligence, are seeking legal action, and you have representation, there are still steps you need to take before moving forward. In New Mexico, the Medical Review Commission will need to review your application. This step is crucial as it assesses whether the claim meets the minimum criteria of plausibility before proceeding to a legitimate litigation stage. Your lawyer can help you file your application so your situation is presented in the best way possible.

When you’re able to file a med mal claim, you also need to make sure it’s within the statute of limitations. In New Mexico, you have three years after the date when the malpractice happened. Missing this date could prevent you from pursuing legal remedies and compensation—which is why contacting a medical malpractice lawyer Santa Fe after you were harmed can help you follow the legal process properly and adhere to the timelines. This timeframe indicates the importance of timely legal advice and decisive action. Your Santa Fe, NM medical malpractice lawyer will make sure your paperwork is filed correctly and on time, ensuring your opportunity to seek recompense is preserved.

New Mexico's Medical Malpractice Laws

In New Mexico, medical malpractice laws are designed to protect patients' rights while balancing the responsibilities of medical providers. It's important to understand these laws when pursuing a claim. New Mexico requires proof that the healthcare provider breached the duty of care through negligence, which resulted in injury. Additionally, New Mexico has a cap on non-economic damages in malpractice claims, limiting the amount that can be awarded for pain and suffering and other non-tangible losses. Our team can guide you through these complex laws, ensuring you are informed at every stage.

Another critical aspect is the concept of comparative negligence. This rule states that if a patient is found to be partially at fault for their injuries, their compensation may be reduced by the percentage of their fault. Understanding how these local laws apply to your circumstances is crucial in building a compelling claim.

Get in Touch with Buckingham & Vega Law Firm

If you or a loved one was a victim of medical malpractice, reach out to our office today for a free case evaluation. The steps involved in seeking justice take time and can be complex, so it’s essential to have an experienced legal ally on your side as quickly as possible.

Our compassionate and dedicated attorneys are here to answer your questions, go over your options, and help you get peace of mind. We’ll protect your best interests and help you move forward. With thorough preparation and empathetic support, we aim to reduce the stress and uncertainty often associated with such legal actions, providing clear guidance every step of the way.

It starts with a phone call. Reach out to a Santa Fe medical malpractice lawyer today at (505) 388-0066. Your consultation is free and private.

FAQ: Medical Malpractice in Santa Fe

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

In New Mexico, you generally have three years from the date of the malpractice to file a claim. It's important to act quickly as gathering evidence and building a strong argument can be time-consuming. Consulting with a Santa Fe, NM medical malpractice attorney promptly ensures you adhere to deadlines and increases the likelihood of a favorable outcome.

What Should I Do if I Suspect Medical Malpractice?

If you suspect medical malpractice, it's important to document everything related to your care. This includes keeping records of your visits, any correspondence with healthcare professionals, and noting any communications related to your treatment. Importantly, seek a second medical opinion to confirm that the care you received deviated from the standard. Contacting Buckingham & Vega Law Firm can help explore your options and determine potential next steps.

Who Can Be Held Liable for Medical Malpractice?

Liability in medical malpractice claims isn't limited to doctors; it can extend to nurses, technicians, and entire medical institutions depending on the circumstances. This may include the hospital where the treatment was provided if systemic issues, such as inadequate staffing, were a factor. Identifying all liable parties is a key component in pursuing a thorough legal strategy to seek appropriate compensation for your injuries.

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