What Is Pediatric Malpractice?

Children are among the most vulnerable members of society. They rely on the care of parents, guardians, teachers, and other adults to ensure their safety and well-being. Chief among these adults are pediatricians. Families rely on pediatricians for guidance in keeping children healthy and for appropriate treatment when problems appear. When a pediatrician fails to diagnose or treat an illness or disease or neglects to provide proper care to an injured child, the consequences can be catastrophic. 

Pediatric malpractice occurs when a pediatrician fails to provide reasonable care for a patient who is under the age of 18. While it can take on many forms, in some cases, pediatric malpractice can result in serious complications—including permanent injury or death—along with a host of financial concerns. When this occurs, it is important that families seek experienced and compassionate legal support as soon as possible to ensure the liable party is held responsible.

At Mandell, Boisclair & Mandell, our Providence pediatric negligence lawyers have close to five decades of experience helping children and their families seek fair compensation for injuries sustained due to improper medical care. If you suspect your child’s injury was the result of pediatric malpractice, call us today at 401-273-8330 to schedule a FREE case evaluation and learn more about your options.

Types of Pediatric Malpractice

Pediatric negligence arises when a medical professional who is treating a child fails to meet the accepted standard of care. This means they failed to act in a manner consistent with how a healthcare professional should perform their job. Examples of this type of medical negligence include:

Failure to Diagnose

When a pediatrician overlooks or dismisses early signs of serious conditions—including infections, congenital disorders, and cancer—the child may suffer unnecessary harm. A delay or failure in diagnosis can lead to the condition worsening, requiring even more invasive treatments, and sometimes resulting in permanent damage, disability, or even death.

Failure to Treat

Sometimes, a pediatrician will recognize a condition but fail to act promptly or provide the necessary treatment. Delays in treatment or ignoring a child’s worsening symptoms can cause conditions to progress beyond the point of effective intervention, leading to serious, potentially life-long medical complications.

Medication Errors

Pediatricians must be extremely careful when prescribing medications that are appropriate for a child’s age, condition, and medical history. Mistakes in dosage, prescribing the wrong medication, or failing to monitor for side effects can lead to adverse reactions, overdoses, and other serious and potentially fatal complications.

Surgical Errors

Mistakes such as operating on the wrong site, leaving surgical instruments inside a child’s body, or improperly administering anesthesia can cause lasting harm. Surgical errors often result in additional surgeries, extended recovery times, and increased risks for future health issues.

The pediatric negligence attorneys at Mandell, Boisclair & Mandell understand how devastating these situations are for families. We have decades of experience investigating claims of pediatric malpractice to determine the exact cause of injury. We are prepared to hold the medical professionals responsible for your child’s injuries to full account in our pursuit of justice for your family.

Potential Complications of Pediatric Care Negligence

The impact of pediatric malpractice often extends far beyond the initial injury or misdiagnosis. What may begin as a preventable medical error can lead to a cascade of complications that affect not only the child’s physical health but also their emotional well-being—and place significant financial and emotional strain on the family as well. When seeking compensation for damages, it is important to understand all of the ways a healthcare professional’s actions have and may continue to cause harm.

Our attorneys have spent years fighting for families dealing with pediatric malpractice complications including:

• Developmental delays
• Permanent physical or cognitive impairments
• Emotional trauma
• Long-term or chronic health conditions
• Diminished earning capacity

Depending on the extent of injury caused by pediatric negligence, children may require special schooling, adaptive and assistive technologies, and round-the-clock supervision. They may face increased social difficulties, have trouble progressing and meeting milestones, and be prevented from supporting themselves once they are of age, placing further and potentially life-long strain on families. When a child’s injury is the result of someone else’s negligence, you should not be forced to also deal with the out-of-pocket expenses related to these things. Our pediatric malpractice lawyers are here to assess all of the ways your child’s injury has impacted your family’s finances and to help you seek the full compensation you are due.

Pediatric Malpractice Damages

When a child suffers harm due to pediatric negligence, families may be entitled to seek compensation for all related physical, emotional, and financial burdens that follow. These may include:

• Current and future medical expenses
• Various forms of therapy (physical, occupational, speech, etc.)
• Loss of income due to caring for the child
• Loss of projected future income for the child
• Pain and suffering

The financial strain pediatric malpractice can place on families is often profound. It can also vary significantly from family to family. We will thoroughly investigate your claim to assess the full extent of damages and build a case that seeks every penny you are due. 

Our pediatric negligence lawyers work on a contingency basis, meaning you only pay for our services after we have secured compensation for your family. During your free consultation at our Providence office, we will provide more details about our contingency fee to ensure you are comfortable and confident moving forward.

Do You Need a Pediatric Negligence Lawyer?

Not all law firms have the experience, knowledge, or commitment needed to effectively litigate pediatric malpractice claims. At Mandell, Boisclair & Mandell, our lawyers have unparalleled experience handling these and other medical malpractice claims. We do not back away from complex litigation. We remain unwavering in our dedication to helping families dealing with these issues seek justice.

Our firm offers:

Nearly Five Decades of Experience

With almost 50 years of experience, our firm has successfully handled numerous medical malpractice claims. We understand the intricacies of these cases and have a track record of securing substantial verdicts and settlements for victims of negligent healthcare professionals.

Personal Attention and Customized Representation

We believe that every client deserves personal and professional attention. Our lawyers stay involved from the start, keeping lines of communication open, remaining available, and providing legal strategies tailored to the unique needs of each client. We work to ensure you receive effective and supportive legal services.

Compassion and Strength

Pediatric malpractice cases can be emotionally charged. We approach these cases with the care they deserve. Compassionate and committed, our lawyers care deeply about each case we take. We are here to protect your family from predatory insurance companies, medical malpractice defense attorneys, and healthcare professionals who may try to shift the blame. Acknowledged for professional excellence and listed as one of the Best Law Firms in America, our reputation is built on our relentless pursuit of justice for our clients.

When you choose to work with us, you are selecting a team of attorneys and legal professionals dedicated to helping your family move forward. We are here to handle the legal complexities of pediatric malpractice so that you can focus on what really matters: your child’s health and well-being, and your family’s future.

Contact Us for a FREE Pediatric Malpractice Claim Evaluation

To schedule your free and confidential consultation with one of our Providence pediatric negligence lawyers, contact Mandell, Boisclair & Mandell today. We provide attentive and effective legal representation for children injured through medical negligence in Rhode Island and nearby areas of Massachusetts.