Tampa Active-Duty Military and Veterans Medical Malpractice Attorney
Whether you are actively serving in the military or have achieved veteran status, this country owes you the highest quality of medical care. Certainly, at least, you should expect to be treated by providers with the same skill and care as other health care professionals in the same community with an equivalent level of training and education. Indeed, this is what the law requires; anything less is malpractice. What happens, though, if you are hurt by a medical mistake at a military hospital or veterans clinic? In the civilian world, you would file a lawsuit in state court against the doctor or hospital that wronged you if they refuse to recognize their error and compensate you for the damage done. In the military world, unsurprisingly, things are not that simple.
People who are injured by the negligence of a government employee cannot sue the government unless the government allows itself to be sued. The federal government has actually done that through the Federal Tort Claims Act, first enacted in 1946. Yet only a few years into the law’s existence, the U.S. Supreme Court in the 1950 case Feres v. United States held that active-duty service members could not sue the government for injuries they sustained while on active duty, even when the injury was caused by the negligence of a government employee.
For 70 years, the Feres doctrine stood in the way of service members being able to receive compensation for injuries caused by medical malpractice at a military hospital or clinic. This all changed with the passage of the FY 20 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). NDAA basically overturned Feres with a specific provision allowing active duty service members to file a claim for compensation if they were harmed by medical malpractice in a military hospital, so long as the injury was incident to service, which is broadly interpreted.
Attorney Peter Bertling and his team at Bertling Law Group have decades of experience litigating, settling and resolving medical malpractice claims, both as a lawyer for doctors and hospitals and their insurance companies and also representing injured victims. Bertling Law Group has been out in front of this new law for service members, helping victims and their families recover compensation through the special procedure laid out in NDAA. Our team also represents veterans who were injured by malpractice at a VA medical center or clinic, including pursuing administrative claims as well as litigation in federal court if necessary.
Of particular concern at Bertling Law Group is the tragedy of suicide among service members and vets. In the most heartbreaking circumstances, our current and former soldiers in crisis go to the very places they are told to go when struggling with mental health issues – their military hospital or VA center. Too often, though, these facilities fail to act reasonably to identify a potential threat and take reasonable steps to prevent a suicide from occurring. Bertling Law Group is working to end this national embarrassment by holding military and veteran facilities accountable and working to change the system.
If you were injured or lost a loved one because of medical negligence at a military hospital or VA medical center in Tampa, call Bertling Law Group at 844-295-7558 for a no-cost, confidential consultation.
Medical Care for Active-Duty Service Members in Tampa
Historic MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa has 12,000 military and 1,300 civilian assigned personnel. About 1,200 active-duty members live on-base with another 2,600 living off-base. Of active-duty military dependents, you’ll find nearly 1,500 living on-base and nearly 11,000 living off-base. The contingent of retired military from MacDill AFB includes approximately 65,000 retirees and approximately 69,000 retiree dependents.
The medical needs of service members and their dependents are served on-base by the 6th Medical Group, a military hospital that provides primary care, preventive care, hospital care and surgery, urgent and emergency care, mental health and substance abuse, lab tests and radiology, specialty care, case management, dental, pharmacy, vision, women’s health and pregnancy, children’s health, and other services.
The 6th Medical Group has made a point of promoting suicide prevention awareness, touting the Mental Health Clinic at MacDill AFB as one of the many resources available to service members struggling with mental health obstacles.
Tampa Veterans Medical Resources
Tampa is home to the James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital, whose main campus provides primary care and specialty health services, including cardiology, foot care (podiatry), mental health care, treatment for spinal cord injuries, prosthetics, and more. Vets can also find outpatient care at numerous VA clinics in Tampa, including:
- Tampa VA Domiciliary
- Forty-Sixth Street South VA Clinic
- Bruce B. Downs Boulevard VA Clinic
- Forty-Sixth Street North VA Clinic
- Winners Circle VA Clinic
- Hidden River VA Clinic
Call Bertling Law Group for Help With Military or Veteran Medical Malpractice in Tampa
If you received negligent medical care at any of the above facilities that wound up causing you harm that could have and should have been prevented, we want to hear from you. Call Bertling Law Group at 844-295-7558 for a free consultation regarding medical malpractice at a Tampa military hospital or VA clinic. There’s no fee unless we recover for you.
