What makes a good medical malpractice case?

• The "jaw dropping" case: A mistake so obvious that a jury could only decide for the plaintiff and award punitive damages. Examples include: cutting off the wrong leg, operating on the wrong patient, and giving medication to a patient causing death or severe brain damage when the patient's medical chart had clearly indicated severe allergies to the medication.
  
  
• Outrageous conduct that falls well below the standard of care. This might include misdiagnosis of an obvious condition, abandoning the patient, or giving treatment in an area in which the provider is not qualified.
  
  
• The high cost of future care. The victim became paralyzed, a paraplegic or quadriplegic as a result of the medical error.
  
  
• The complete loss of future earning ability. A 30-year old carpenter who cannot work for the rest of his life. A 28-Year old Insurance salesman loses his ability to speak.
  
  
• Medical records that have been falsified, forged, or otherwise "fixed" in order to escape liability.
  
  
• Brain damaged babies.
  
  
• Plaintiff in a coma, vegetative state or blind.
  
  
• The doctor fails to diagnose cancer, when the symptoms were classic, and the patient dies.