You sued your doctor.
For medical malpractice.
You believe he was careless.
You believe he violated the basic standards of good medical care.
During the course of your lawsuit the defense refuses to negotiate.
They believe the doctor did nothing wrong.
They believe even if the doctor did something wrong, it did not cause your injuries.
The defense also argues that even if the doctor did something wrong and caused your injuries, they are not as bad as you claim them to be.
You have no choice but to go to trial.
Your injuries are debilitating.
Your injuries are disabling.
Your injuries have affected the way you work.
Your injuries have affected the way you interact with your family.
You've heard about injured patients getting significant money because of a careless doctor or hospital staff.
You also heard from friends and family that about 95% of all medical malpractice cases settle before trial.
You are hoping that yours will be one of them.
Your attorney tells you that you must prepare for trial.
It takes two weeks to try your case.
During the course of your trial there are highs and lows.
You're going through an emotional rollercoaster as you relive everything that happened.
The defense is attacking your credibility.
Repeatedly.
It's now time for the jury to deliberate and decide whether you are more likely right than wrong that what you are claiming is true.
The jury comes back the next day with their verdict.
The first question they are tasked with answering is whether the doctor was careless. Was he negligent?
The jury determines that no, your doctor was not careless.
After hearing that, you are eagerly anticipating hearing how much money you're going to receive as a result of the doctor's wrongdoing.
Before you are able to process what just happened and why the judge is thanking the jury for their service and discharging them, you are wondering when they will answer the question about how much money you are to receive.
The reality is that if the jury decides that the doctor whom you have sued did nothing wrong, then you receive nothing.
