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The Finnell Firm | Using The Law to Change Lives
The Finnell Firm | Using The Law to Change Lives

Your Partner In Healing And Justice

Medical Malpractice Attorney In Rome, Georgia

Medical professionals such as surgeons, doctors and nurses are held to certain standards when it comes to the care they provide for patients. Acting in a careless way or even simply neglecting proper communication can end up hurting a patient.

At The Finnell Firm, our Rome medical malpractice attorney represents people who have been injured or have fallen ill due to a medical professional’s negligent behavior.

Medical malpractice and personal injury are the focus areas of our firm. Founding lawyer Robert Finnell has been using the law to help injured victims for more than four decades. He will listen to your story, take the time to educate you about your options and make certain you feel confident with the decision you are making. Please call us at 706-314-8156 or contact us here to schedule a free initial consultation.

Types of Medical Malpractice Cases We Handle

Our legal team handles a broad range of cases, including ones involving:

Attorney Finnell has particular experience litigating medical products liability cases involving implants, surgical mesh injuries and lead wire injuries. This is a complex area of law that few attorneys are willing to tackle. At The Finnell Firm, we have the skills and experience necessary to effectively represent our clients and to work to protect their rights.

What Constitutes Medical Malpractice In Georgia?

Many patients are not aware of their rights when it comes to medical malpractice. What constitutes medical malpractice in Georgia? Here are a few common examples:

Misdiagnosis

When a doctor misdiagnoses a patient, he or she may have to undergo unnecessary surgery, take unnecessary medication or experience worsening symptoms due to a lack of proper treatment. Some diseases, if misdiagnosed, can worsen over time or lead to early death. Other diseases and conditions can lead to lower quality of life due to improper treatment.

Delayed diagnosis

Even a small delay in diagnosing a condition, like cancer, can mean the difference between life and death. Even a few months, for cancer patients, can mean the difference between an inoperable tumor and one that can be treated using standard care. Delayed diagnosis, even when it doesn’t result in death, can result in pain, suffering and lower quality of life for some patients.

Childbirth injuries

Birth complications can affect a child for the rest of his or her life. While childbirth injuries are rare, medical errors can result in death, disability or illness. In some cases, this is due to improper use of forceps or other tools of delivery. In other cases, birth injuries occur because the doctor fails to see that the fetus is in distress. In some cases, birth injuries can affect the mother, causing issues such as back pain, incontinence and even fractures.

Prescription errors

Mistakes in prescriptions can be devastating. Individuals may suffer from the effects of their condition remaining untreated. Others may suffer addictions or side effects from medications they did not need. Improper dosage, improper administration of medication by nursing staff and other errors can result in serious injuries.

If you or a loved one has been hurt due to any of these medical malpractice errors, it is important to understand that you have rights under Georgia law. A personal injury lawyer may be able to assist you in getting a recovery for your medical care, lost wages and pain and suffering. Contact The Finnell Firm today.

How To File A Medical Malpractice Lawsuit In Georgia

Filing a medical malpractice claim requires careful preparation and strict compliance with Georgia law. Below are the general steps involved:

  • Seek immediate medical care and document your injuries. Your health comes first, and medical records will later serve as critical evidence.
  • Consult a qualified medical malpractice attorney in Atlanta. An attorney can review your records, evaluate whether the standard of care was breached and determine if your case meets Georgia’s legal requirements.
  • Obtain an affidavit. Georgia law requires that a lawsuit be filed with an affidavit from a qualified medical professional identifying at least one negligent act or omission.
  • File the complaint in the appropriate court. The lawsuit must be filed in the correct Georgia court within the statutory deadline.
  • Engage in discovery. Both sides exchange documents, depose witnesses and consult medical professionals to build their cases.
  • Negotiate or proceed to trial. Some cases resolve through settlement discussions, while others require presentation before a jury.

Because these cases are technical and vigorously defended, working with an experienced Atlanta medical malpractice attorney is essential to protect your claim from procedural missteps.

Standing Up To Regional Hospitals

When massive healthcare networks like Atrium Health Floyd expand their influence across northern Georgia, individual patients often feel completely overwhelmed. They get discouraged in their attempt to challenge institutional errors after suffering severe medical harm.

We maintain complete legal and financial independence from these powerful regional medical conglomerates. This autonomy gives our team the freedom to thoroughly investigate systemic hospital failures, inadequate staffing levels and critical physician mistakes without any conflicting interests.

These medical centers rely on vast corporate budgets and legal defense teams to slow down investigations and discourage injured patients from seeking answers. Our firm actively dismantles these defensive barriers. We will obtain internal hospital records, consult independent medical professionals and build compelling cases that pursue accountability from corporate healthcare executives for their negligence.

Overcoming The “I Don’t Believe In Suing” Stigma

Many Georgia families initially hesitate to contact a lawyer because they hold a deep personal belief against taking legal action. Some even view medical claims as unnecessary lawsuits or attempts to obtain an unearned financial payout.

We help our clients rethink this mindset. Filing a legitimate medical malpractice claim is not about just payouts but about securing essential care for a loved one after preventable medical mistakes alter their daily life.

Pursuing a claim may help provide the financial stability your family needs to cover ongoing rehabilitation costs. A successful claim may also help cover medical equipment costs and replace lost household income, which can otherwise put your family’s future at risk.

More importantly, our legal work forces regional hospitals to take responsibility for systemic failures. We help correct dangerous patterns and protect future patients in our community from suffering similar preventable injuries.

Advanced Trial Preparation

Successfully explaining complex medical negligence can be challenging. The process requires converting dense medical records, surgical reports and technical terminology into simple, visually engaging evidence that everyone can understand.

At The Finnell Firm, we use ExhibitView, a state-of-the-art trial presentation tool. With this software, we project high-definition radiological scans, animated medical timelines and side-by-side anatomical comparisons directly to Floyd County juries inside the courtroom.

This sophisticated visual technology allows our legal team to walk jurors through complicated surgical procedures step by step while pinpointing the exact moments where medical staff deviated from accepted safety standards. By making technical evidence intuitive and impossible to ignore, our clear courtroom presentations empower local juries to understand the truth of what happened in your case.

Georgia Medical Malpractice FAQs

If you are considering legal action in Atlanta or elsewhere in Georgia, the following answers address common concerns about medical malpractice claims.

Q: Are medical malpractice cases hard to win in Georgia?

A: Medical malpractice cases can be challenging. Georgia law requires proof that a healthcare provider breached the accepted standard of care and that the breach directly caused injury. Insurance carriers and hospitals often defend these claims aggressively, relying on their own doctors. A medical malpractice lawyer in Atlanta must carefully analyze records, consult qualified doctors and present clear evidence that links negligence to harm. While complex, strong cases supported by credible witness testimony can succeed when properly prepared.

Q: How long do you have to file a medical malpractice lawsuit in Georgia?

A: In most situations, Georgia imposes a two-year statute of limitations from the date the injury occurred or was discovered. However, there is also a five-year statute of repose that generally bars claims filed more than five years after the negligent act, regardless of discovery. Certain exceptions may apply, such as cases involving minors or foreign objects left in the body. Because deadlines are strictly enforced, speaking promptly with a medical malpractice attorney in Atlanta is critical to preserving your rights.

Q: What if my injury or misdiagnosis occurred at a major regional facility like Atrium Health Floyd?

A: Taking on a major medical center or regional healthcare system requires an attorney with true local independence. Because large hospital systems are often top employers in Rome and Floyd County, many area lawyers hesitate to handle these claims due to personal, professional, or political ties. At The Finnell Firm, our loyalty belongs entirely to our clients. Founding attorney Robert Finnell has spent over four decades standing up to powerful institutions, holding hospitals accountable and working to obtain the life-care resources injured patients and their families need to move forward.

Q: I don’t believe in suing people, but my medical bills are overwhelming. Is filing a claim wrong?

A: Seeking accountability after a devastating medical error is not about seeking a “handout” or “jackpot justice”– it is about protecting your family and recovering the actual financial losses forced upon you. Under Georgia law, a medical malpractice claim simply ensures that insurance providers cover your legitimate medical expenses, rehabilitation, lost wages and long-term care needs. Holding healthcare providers to accepted standards of care protects not only your household’s financial future but also improves safety for the entire Rome and North Georgia community.

Q: How do you prove a medical mistake when the injury isn’t something visible like a broken bone?

A: Local juries can be skeptical of conditions they cannot see with the naked eye, such as traumatic brain injuries, nerve damage, severe internal trauma or the long-term impacts of a missed diagnosis. Proving these complex claims requires turning complicated medical records into clear, unassailable visual evidence. Robert Finnell utilizes state-of-the-art trial presentation technology – including ExhibitView, an evidence management tool he co-created – to clearly present diagnostic imaging, witness testimony and life-care plans in a plain-spoken manner that local judges and juries understand.

Talk To A Georgia Medical Malpractice Lawyer Today

If you or a loved one has been harmed by a surgical error or another form of medical malpractice, you may be entitled to financial compensation.

Contact us online or by calling 706-314-8156 to schedule a free, confidential consultation. We are happy to schedule weekend and off-site appointments by request.