According to a recent study by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences, it is estimated that nearly 100,000 patients are killed each year in hospitals as a result of medical mistakes, and millions more are injured each year due to negligence in the hospital. Contrary to popular belief, a large percentage of medical mistakes are at the hands of doctors -- not nurses or other health care professionals. If you are among one of the millions of patients that have been injured due to medical mistakes, or you are a family member of a loved one who has died due to medical mistakes, you will need to find an experienced medical malpractice lawyer or attorney.

Medical malpractice can be defined as negligence committed by a health care professional resulting in physical and/or economic harm to a patient. A medical malpractice lawyer or attorney will have the ability to determine if you are a victim of medical malpractice by examining several factors that must be present to prove medical malpractice. Keep in mind that the burden of proof is on the plaintiff in the malpractice lawsuit. The elements of proof are: Breach of Duty, Duty of Care, Injury, and Proximate cause.

While the elements of proof are similar for every state, the prescribed standard of medical care varies, as well as the way in which damages are awarded, and the amount of time you have to file your claim. For instance, in the state of Alaska , you have two years after the injury is discovered to file your claim. Additionally, the state of Alaska has adopted the doctrine of pure comparative negligence. A claimant's fault does not bar recovery, but his damages are reduced in proportion to the percentage of fault attributed to him.

An Alaska medical malpractice lawyer or attorney will be well versed in state healthcare and medical malpractice laws, and they will have the ability to easily navigate through these state laws to help you recover damages. Medical malpractice attorneys will typically focus on several areas of medical malpractice. These may include some or all of the following: anesthesia negligence, nursing home injuries/negligence, pharmaceutical negligence, birth injury, emergency room errors, surgery errors, medication errors, cerebral palsy, and brain damage, to name a few.