Sports Medicine Malpractice

Athletes are, unfortunately, prone to injuries. When a person is hurt playing sports, whether they can continue their athletic pursuits depends, in part, on whether they receive appropriate medical treatment. Sadly, however, in addition to the typical complications that can arise following sports injuries, some athletes suffer harm due to unsuitable or inadequate care. Doctors that negligently damage their patients’ health should be held accountable, and it is smart for anyone injured by sports medicine malpractice to meet with an attorney as soon as possible to discuss their potential claims. The assertive Baltimore medical malpractice attorneys of Arfaa Law Group have ample experience handling challenging cases, and if you suffered harm due to the negligence of your sports medicine doctor, we can aid you in pursuing the maximum damages recoverable under the law.

Sports medicine doctors generally treat patients for a variety of ailments that arise during athletic activities. For example, they often diagnose and treat concussions, torn, strained, and sprained ligaments and tendons, fractures, joint pain, and soft tissue injuries. If a sports medicine doctor neglects to offer a patient an accurate diagnosis, it can lead to delays and treatment, worsening pain, and permanent detriments, and most likely constitutes malpractice. In some instances, a doctor will provide a correct diagnosis but will fail to provide appropriate treatment. For example, if a patient suffers an injury that requires surgical repair and their doctor only offers conservative measures, it may be considered malpractice. Conversely, if a doctor operates on a patient when surgery is not necessary, it may be grounds for pursuing malpractice claims as well. On occasion, a doctor may provide an accurate diagnosis and recommend appropriate care but may make mistakes that harm the patient when rendering the treatment.

Sports medicine doctors, like all physicians, are expected to offer their patients skilled and knowledgeable care; if they do not, it can cause their patients harm and may constitute sports medicine malpractice. Generally, a plaintiff pursuing medical malpractice claims will assert that the defendant was negligent.

In Maryland, proving negligence requires the plaintiff to establish that the defendant owed them a duty to abide by the standard of care. The standard of care imposed on the defendant is the treatment that a reasonable professional practicing in the same specialty as the defendant would offer when presented with the same set of facts. Next, the plaintiff needs to prove that the treatment rendered by the defendant constitutes a departure from the standard of care. Finally, the plaintiff must demonstrate that the defendant’s departure from the standard of care caused the plaintiff’s harm. In other words, they must show that, if not for the defendant’s breach, they would not have sustained the losses suffered.

In most cases, the plaintiff will need to retain a medical expert to prove the defendant’s negligence. Specifically, testimony from a medical expert will likely be needed to explain the standard of care to the jurors or judge determining liability and the manner in which the defendant deviated from the standard of care. Expert testimony is also usually needed to prove causation and to quantify the damages caused by the defendant’s negligence.

Sports injuries can cause pain and debilitation, and if they are not treated properly, they can lead to lifelong impairment. If you did not receive appropriate care following a sports injury, you might be able to recover damages in a sports medicine malpractice lawsuit, and you should meet with an attorney as soon as possible. The trusted Baltimore lawyers of Arfaa Law Group are well-versed in what it takes to hold negligent doctors accountable, and if you hire us, we can advise you or your rights and help you to pursue the best legal outcome possible under the facts of your case. We have an office in Baltimore, where we regularly represent parties in medical malpractice lawsuits. You can reach us by calling us at (410) 889-1850 or by using our online form to set up a confidential conference.