Medical Malpractice

St. Louis trial lawyers protecting victims of medical malpractice in Missouri and Illinois...


Medical malpractice, or medical negligence, occurs when any medical professional-a doctor, nurse, caregiver, lab technician, pharmacist, or anyone else who is responsible for your health-violates the accepted standard of care by failing to take safety or sanitary precautions, acting in a way that harms the patient or puts the patient at risk, or failing to act when it is necessary.

The tough but compassionate attorneys at Bollwerk & Ryan are dedicated to helping victims of medical malpractice and negligence in the Greater St. Louis Area and across Missouri and Illinois.

Malpractice cases can involve: 

• Surgery errors: Because of a mix-up in a St. Louis operating room, the surgeon removes your appendix instead of your gall bladder, forcing you to have another surgery and delaying your recovery.
  
  
• Misdiagnosis: A doctor in University City, MO diagnosed your husband's fatal aortic dissection as heartburn and sent him home. 
  
  
• Failure to diagnose: A hospital in Kirkwood, MO fails to diagnose your breast cancer until it is in an advanced stage, or a doctor in Clayton, MO fails to recognize necrotizing fasciitis-also known as flesh eating bacteria-in time to save your daughter's leg from amputation.
  
  
• Negligent transmission of a disease: A careless needle stick can infect a patient with HIV or hepatitis C. Failure to follow hygienic procedures can spread staph or even MRSA through a hospital.
  
  
• Medication errors: You are given the wrong medication while in a hospital in St. Charles, MO or received the wrong drug from a pharmacy in Washington, MO. 
  
  
• Dropping or negligent handling of a patient: A nursing home attendant in southern Illinois handles your mother too roughly and she breaks her hip, or a nurse in St. Louis drops your newborn.
  
  
• Birth injury: Also known as birth trauma, birth injuries include oxygen deprivation during delivery, forceps injuries, broken bones, and nerve damage.

• Nursing home neglect: Older people, especially, can become dehydrated or suffer malnutrition. Immobility can lead to bedsores. Nursing home professionals are trained to deal with these situations and may be guilty of neglect or negligence when they fail to provide proper care.

At Bollwerk & Ryan we care about our community and its standards of medical care. We have the resources to go to trial against the biggest medical facilities, hospitals, and insurance companies to protect your right to responsible medical care and fairly compensate you and your family for your losses.

Missouri's statutes of limitation for medical malpractice claims require that a claim must be filed within two years of the incident, or within three years of death for a wrongful death claim.

Missouri law also requires that the plaintiff's attorney produce a medical expert witness to support the validity of the malpractice claim within 90 days of filing. In other words, the burden of proof is on the victim of negligence or malpractice to show that the claim is legitimate.

These special requirements and limitations are especially important to know because they may prevent a legitimate claim from being filed because the injured party did not know or understand his or her right to compensation for medical malpractice or was misinformed about the proper procedures.

The trial attorneys at Bollwerk and Ryan are sensitive to the needs of our immigrant communities. You will always be in contact with someone who understands your situation and knows your case, and if English is your second language, we will ensure that you understand every insurance letter and medical document involved. Frank Carretero is a fluent Spanish speaker and welcomes clients from our growing Hispanic community.

If you or someone you love has been harmed or endangered by medical malpractice or medical negligence in Missouri or Illinois...

Please call Bollwerk & Ryan at 314-315-8111 (toll free at 877-315-8111) or fill out our online contact form to schedule a free consultation.

Bollwerk & Ryan, LLC is located in St. Louis, Missouri and serves all of Missouri and Illinois including the following counties, cities, and towns:

St. Louis. St. Louis County: Clayton, Chesterfield, Kirkwood, Florissant, Oakville, University City, Mehlville, Wildwood, Ballwin, Affton, Maryland Heights, Hazelwood, Webster Groves, Brentwood, Lemay, Bellefontaine Neighbors, Manchester, Town and Country, Ferguson, Glendale, Creve Coeur, Maplewood, Bridgeton, Ladue, Jennings, Saint Ann. Jefferson County: Arnold, Festus, Murphy, Barnhart, De Soto, Fenton, Byrnes Mill. St. Charles County: O'Fallon, St. Charles, St. Peters, Wentzville, Lake St. Louis, Weldon Spring. Franklin County: Washington, Union, Sullivan, Pacific, Saint Clair. Warren County: Warrenton, Wright City. Lincoln County: Troy, Elsberry, Moscow Mills. Boone County: Columbia. Southern Illinois.

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Blog for Medical Malpractice

• St. Louis Post-Dispatch discusses both sides of the medical malpractice caps debate