It may seem that all you need to do as a good Cleveland Medical Malpractice Attorney is the following: Look the part. Wear a suit and tie, carry a briefcase, and speak with confidence about your success rate. This would be mostly correct; however, if you want to succeed in the medical malpractice field it helps even more to possess some of these other key traits:
1 . A Willingness To Work Long And Hard Hours
Though not every case will require long hours and hard work, cases involving serious injuries or death tend to take longer than your average case. You can’t expect an injured party who has been waiting weeks for surgery, only to then wait months for their day in court, to simply sit around and do nothing while you twiddle your thumbs.
The legal process takes time, and when lives are at stake the delay in justice is cruel to all parties involved. When you know this going in, it helps to be prepared for what will likely be a tough road ahead.
2 . Patience And Understanding
While you may loathe having to sit down with an attorney or speak with another party in the case, patience and understanding go a long way when dealing with people who have been through something traumatic. Also, in cases where patients are incapacitated you must understand that evaluating their mental capacity (to understand both the law and any settlement) can take extra time. You should never rush them or make assumptions until they’ve had ample time to heal mentally, physically and emotionally.
3 . An Ability To Work Well With Others – And Alone
You don’t have to be a loner, but you do need to be able to work well with others and understand that you’re not the only person working on the case at any given time. You should also know how to work independently if necessary, as sometimes another party will simply refuse to cooperate or communicate at all.
4 . A Solid Understanding Of The Legal System (And How Medical Practices Operate)
If you don’t understand the legal system and how medical practices operate it can be difficult for you to build a solid case against those who harmed your client. While we’ll try our best to explain what we know, it helps if you already possess the knowledge to work with.
5 . An Understanding Of How Medical Malpractice Cases Work (And The Different Types)
When someone is injured due to the negligence of another party it’s classified as medical malpractice. There are two types of medical malpractice cases: errors in treatment and errors in prognosis. Something like missing a cancer diagnosis would be an error in treatment; if your client was misdiagnosed you’d need to prove they eventually developed cancer because of this mistake, which makes it an error in prognosis.
6 . A Strong Ability To Negotiate/Settle And Litigate *If You Enjoy Litigating*
If you enjoy litigating then by all means do so; however, not everyone does and that’s perfectly fine. If you’re not a fan of litigating then feel free to focus on the areas that suit your strengths best or even lean more towards settlement negotiations instead or working with insurance companies.
7 . A Desire To Help People Injured By The Negligence Of Others
Of course, if you don’t have this desire it will be difficult to succeed in the field of medical malpractice law. When people needlessly suffer due to someone else’s negligence it is your job as an attorney to help them heal and make things right; this is where your satisfaction comes from when doing what you love. So while some of these traits may seem obvious, some may be surprising (such as enjoying litigation). Though all of these qualities are necessary for success they aren’t the only traits necessary. If you’re a compassionate individual with a strong desire to help people in need, and good time management skills you might be well on your way towards becoming an excellent medical malpractice attorney Ohio.