N.C. Personal Injury Attorney
Physician Assistant Malpractice
Physician assistants have assumed an increasing role in the delivery of medical care and treatment of patients in Asheville and Western North Carolina in recent years. Physician assistants may evaluate patients, assist doctors in monitoring patients in hospitals and nursing homes, perform routine diagnostic procedures, and counsel patients regarding treatment and therapy. But the growth in the number of physician assistants has been shadowed by an increasing number of incidents of physician assistant malpractice. Insurance companies made payments in more than 350 cases of physician assistant malpractice in 2009, according to the North Carolina Medical Board, the state agency responsible for regulating Physician Assistants.
If you or a loved one has suffered an injury or complications from medical treatment by a physician assistant, you want to gain a better understanding of what constitutes physician assistant malpractice and what your legal rights are. At the Elmore Law Firm, we are experienced at answering medical injury questions and handling physician assistant malpractice claims. We are ready to review your medical injury free of charge and advise you on your legal options.
Contact the Elmore Law Firm, based in Asheville, for a free consultation about your physician assistant malpractice injuries. Call 1-828-253-1492 or 1-888-775-7876 or reach an Asheville medical malpractice attorney online at info@theelmorelawfirm.com to schedule free evaluation of your injury.
Common Causes of Physician Assistant Malpractice
A physician assistant, or PA, is defined by the American Medical Association as a skilled person qualified by academic and practical training to treat patients under the supervision of a licensed physician. As the population of Asheville and Western North Carolina has grown, physician assistants have assumed a larger role in the health care delivery system.
Buncombe County has 160 licensed physician assistants, according to the North Carolina Medical Board. A physician assistant may have more than one supervising physician. According to the North Carolina Medical Board, an increasing number of physician assistants are listing five or more doctors as primary supervisors. The Medical Board expressed concern that PA’s in these types of practice arrangements may not receive adequate supervision and may not be able to develop a close working relationship with a primary physician supervisor.
When physician assistants deviate from the recognized standard of medical care, they may be liable for physician assistant malpractice. The incidence of physician assistant malpractice has increased as the number of PAs has rapidly increased in the last decade.
According to the North Carolina Medical Board, patients filed nearly 1,200 complaints involving physician assistants in 2009, including issues involving quality of care, prescribing issues, medical misdiagnosis, inappropriate exam and unprofessional conduct. A formal complaint may result in a letter of reprimand, license suspension or license revocation. In addition to filing a complaint with the medical board, a patient also may file a malpractice lawsuit against the physician assistant and medical practice for compensation for the harm caused. Insurance companies made malpractice payments in 351 cases of physician assistant malpractice in North Carolina in 2009 and 339 payments in 2008.
Contact Asheville Physician Assistant Malpractice Attorney
If you or a loved one has suffered an injury or complications from medical treatment by a physician assistant, it’s important to understand your legal options. You want to gain a better understanding of what constitutes PA medical malpractice. At the Elmore Law Firm, we are experienced at handling physician assistant malpractice claims and answering medical injury questions. We have been representing victims of medical malpractice and personal injury for more than three decades. We have established relationships with medical experts who assist us in evaluating medical records to determine when a physician’s assistant deviated from the recognized standard of care.
Contact the Elmore Law Firm, based in Asheville, for a free consultation about your physician assistant malpractice injuries. We are ready to review your medical injury and advise you on your legal options.
Call 1-828-253-1492 or 1-888-775-7876 or reach an Asheville medical malpractice attorney online at info@theelmorelawfirm.com
