Connecticut Psychiatric Malpractice Lawyer

If you or someone you love has suffered harm because of the actions of a mental health professional, you may be eligible to pursue compensation for damages. Our Connecticut psychiatric malpractice attorneys represent individuals and families in psychiatric malpractice claims throughout Connecticut. To find out if you qualify to file a psychiatric malpractice claim, please contact us today.

What Are The Types of Psychiatric Malpractice Claims?

When psychiatrists, psychotherapists, and other mental health professionals are negligent or careless, their actions can result in harm to their patients and others. This includes psychological harm resulting from inadequate or inappropriate mental health care, as well as physical harm resulting from self-harm and physical attacks. The following are just some examples of psychiatric malpractice:

• Failure to properly treat a mental health patient
• Failure to prevent a patient from harming himself or others (even though the patient makes threats against himself or others)
• Failure to provide adequate supervision over a patient
• Engaging in verbal, physical, or sexual abuse of a patient
• Causing emotional harm by ignoring, isolating, or verbally assaulting a patient
• Prematurely discharging a patient who is unstable or is suicidal
• Failure to provide the normal standard of care for a suicidal patient (if the patient commits suicide, a mental health care provider may be found guilty of not preventing him or her from taking his or her life)
• Failure to administer the correct type or dose of medication
• Failure to provide adequate protection for vulnerable patients at a facility (an example would be placing a vulnerable patient in a residential setting with another patient who is known to be violent or is a sexual predator)

How Do You Prove Psychiatric Malpractice?

In order to prove psychiatric malpractice, it is necessary to show that the doctor or other medical professional who treated your loved one failed to adhere to the generally accepted standard of care. The standard of care can vary among mental health care professions, and determining whether a treatment decision constitutes malpractice requires a thorough understanding of the medical and legal principles that apply. At Berkowitz Hanna, our Connecticut psychiatric malpractice lawyers have extensive experience representing clients in psychiatric malpractice claims, and we can use this experience to provide a clear, straightforward assessment of your family’s legal rights.

Suicide and Attempted Suicide Malpractice Claims

A suicide malpractice claim can be brought against a healthcare provider and the mental health hospital or center in which he or she works if a suicidal patient is discharged prematurely and causes harm to him or herself. Many patients are discharged even though they are not mentally stable because insurance carriers refuse to pay for patients’ care after six days if they are not judged to be at high risk for suicide.

If someone you love has committed or attempted to commit suicide after being released from a mental health center and you believe that he or she was discharged prematurely, you should contact Berkowitz and Hanna LLC to find out if you are eligible to file a suicide malpractice claim. We recognize that these cases are emotional and difficult for family members, and we are committed to providing compassionate and personalized representation for our clients. Our Connecticut psychiatric malpractice attorneys will work with you one-on-one to determine your best path forward. And if you decide to pursue a claim, we will work diligently to achieve the outcome you and your family deserve.

Learn More from a Connecticut Psychiatric Malpractice Attorney

If you suspect that a loved one has received improper psychiatric care, you can contact us to find out if your suspicions are correct. Our Connecticut psychiatric malpractice lawyers are highly skilled investigators who will evaluate your circumstances to determine if your loved one received substandard care. If your suspicions are correct, we will serve as your advocates, and we will do everything it takes to expose the wrongdoing and to seek justice for you and your loved one.