Broken duty of care responsibility causes injury
When you place your health in a doctor’s hands, you rely on their duty of care responsibility, and any breach of duty of care that results in a traumatic injury demands immediate legal action. Our firm specializes in holding medical providers accountable for mistakes made during routine or complex surgical procedures to ensure you receive full compensation for your recovery.
Understanding Your Rights and Surgical Procedures in New Mexico
Every year, millions of Americans go to outpatient clinics and surgical centers for medical help. You trust doctors to follow their duty of care responsibility. Most surgical procedures go well. However, mistakes happen. When a doctor fails you, it is a breach of duty. You might feel lost and hurt. The Gorence Law Firm is here to help. Attorney Robert Gorence and the legal team at Gorence focus on personal injury cases. We help people in New Mexico who suffer from medical malpractice. If you are hurting, you need a legal expert. Robert Gorence and his team can guide you through the New Mexico Court system.
Demand justice for a painful injury and the duty of care responsibility
If you are suffering from a life-altering injury because a professional ignored their duty of care responsibility, you do not have to carry this heavy burden alone. Your trust was met with a devastating breach of duty of care, but you can take back control of your life by demanding the justice and financial support you truly deserve. Contact us today to hold those responsible for errors during your surgical procedures accountable and start your path toward healing.

The History and Facts of Surgical Procedures
Surgery has changed a lot over time. In the past, even a routine surgery was very risky. Today, doctors use high-tech tools for life-saving emergency procedures. In the USA, over 50 million surgical procedures happen each year. New Mexico sees thousands of these cases. Many people need a Cataract Surgery to see better. Others undergo a Cesarean Section (C-Section) to bring a baby into the world. Modern medicine allows for Joint Replacement (Knee/Hip) to help you walk again. Even a Circumcision or an Appendectomy is now a standard part of care.
However, high volume leads to risks. Malpractice insurance exists because doctors make mistakes. In New Mexico, medical errors are a major concern. Alcohol sales and violence also impact our hospitals. Many life-saving emergency procedures follow violent acts or crashes. Travel also plays a role. People drive long distances in our state. Duty of care travel means companies must keep travelers safe. If a crash happens, you might need a Fracture Repair or Debridement of Wound.
Understanding Your Legal Rights
What is the duty of care meaning? It means a doctor must act like a skilled professional. This is the legal standard of care. When they fail, it is a breach of duty of care. A definition for duty of care is the requirement to avoid causing harm. If a doctor is messy, they might face a breech of duty claim. The Gorence legal practice knows how to prove proximate cause. This means the doctor’s mistake caused your injury.
Robert Gorence is a counselor at law who understands tortious duty of care. We look at the duty of care in healthcare to see if you were wronged. If a doctor misses a cancer sign, it is a misdiagnosis. This can lead to a loss of chance for a cure. You deserve to know the risks. This is called informed consent. If a doctor does not tell you the dangers, they may be liable for malpractice.
Surgical Errors and Injuries
Mistakes in the operating room are scary. A never event is a mistake that should never happen. This includes wrong-site surgery. Imagine waking up to find the wrong leg was removed. This is a clear breach of duty example. In such cases, res ipsa loquitur applies. This means the mistake is so obvious that it speaks for itself.
Other errors include:
- Medication error: Giving the wrong drug or dose.
- Stent insertion or angioplasty mistakes during heart care.
- Lower back surgery (laminectomy) errors that cause nerve damage.
- Problems during a hysterectomy or cholecystectomy.
- Issues with a coronary artery bypass (CABG).
If you suffered a birth injury, your child may face a lifetime of care. The Gorence Law Firm fights for families. We seek economic damages for your bills. We also fight for non-economic damages for your pain.
New Mexico Cities and Surgical Care
Albuquerque
As the largest city, Albuquerque has many large hospitals. It also has many outpatient clinics. High traffic leads to many crashes. Personal injury from car wrecks often leads to routine surgeries. The law offices of Robert Gorence are located here to serve you. If you had a bad tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) or liposuction here, call us. Alcohol-related violence also puts a strain on local surgical centers.
Las Cruces
In Las Cruces, many seniors seek a joint replacement (knee/hip). They also get cataract surgery. If a doctor in Las Cruces fails their duty of care responsibility, the results are tragic. Attorney Robert Gorence helps southern New Mexicans. We know the local courts and how they handle medical malpractice.
Rio Rancho
Rio Rancho is growing fast. More people means more surgical procedures. We see many cases of tonsillectomy or myringotomy (ear tubes) for kids. If a child is hurt by a medication error, the family needs a personal injury firm. The Gorence Law Firm is that firm.
Santa Fe
In Santa Fe, many people choose elective care like breast augmentation or eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty). Even these have risks. A legal expert can tell you if a mistake was made. Robert Gorence understands the unique culture and legal needs of our capital city.
Roswell
Roswell residents often travel for specialized care. Duty of care travel management is important here. If you were hurt during a repair of inguinal hernia or a breast biopsy in Roswell, you have rights. The Gorence legal practice will fight for your economic damages.
Farmington
Farmington sees many workplace injuries from the energy sector. These often lead to fracture repair or shoulder arthroscopy. If an employer’s duty of care was ignored, you might have a case. Robert Gorence and his team help workers get back on their feet.
Hobbs
In Hobbs, the oil fields bring risk. Severe trauma may require a free skin graft or debridement of wound. If a hospital makes a never event error, you need to act fast. Note the statute of limitations. You only have a certain time to sue.
Clovis
Clovis has a strong military and farming community. Routine surgery like a vasectomy or tubal ligation is common. If things go wrong, it is a neglect of duty. The Gorence Law Firm provides legal counsel to those in Clovis.
Carlsbad
Carlsbad is a hub for tourism and industry. Duty of care travel is a major factor here. If a visitor is hurt and needs an appendectomy, the care must be perfect. If it isn’t, Robert Gorence is ready to help.
Alamogordo
In Alamogordo, many residents are veterans or seniors. They may need a carotid endarterectomy or prostatectomy. If a doctor makes a misdiagnosis, the harm is great. We help you find an expert testimony to prove your case.
Gallup
Gallup serves a large area. Many life-saving emergency procedures happen here due to highway accidents. If a critical care nurse fails their duties of a critical care nurse, the hospital may face vicarious liability. This means the hospital is responsible for the staff.
Los Lunas
Los Lunas is a quiet town, but medical errors still happen. A colonoscopy with polypectomy or an upper endoscopy (EGD) with biopsy should be safe. If you were hurt, the law firm of Robert Gorence wants to hear from you.
Other Areas We Serve
In Deming, we see injuries from transit. Los Alamos residents expect high-tech care but still face malpractice. In Las Vegas, New Mexico, local clinics must meet the legal standard of care. Artesia and Portales families rely on local doctors for routine surgeries. We also help people in North Valley, Corrales, and Socorro.
If you are in Española or Ruidoso, you may have an injury claim. We serve Belen, Bloomfield, and Taos. In Edgewood and Truth or Consequences, we provide legal counsel. Even in small towns like Raton, Tucumcari, and Lovington, the duty of care applies. Residents of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, Aztec, and Zuni Pueblo can call us. We also cover Santa Teresa, Eldorado at Santa Fe, White Rock, Sunland Park, Chaparral, and Shiprock.
Understanding Medical Terms and Laws
You might hear the term fiduciary duty of care. This means your doctor must put your health first. A patient care technician has a duty of care too. Their duties of a patient care technician include keeping you safe. Even a health care manager has duties of health care manager.
In court, we use the discovery rule. This lets you sue even if you find the injury later. Some states have damage caps. These limit how much money you can get. In New Mexico, we help you get every dollar allowed. We look for a breach of standard of care. We prove the failure to act when one should is called negligence.
If you have a spinal cord injury (SCI) or a traumatic brain injury (TBI), your life is changed. You may be disabled or in a wheelchair. You might be paralyzed. We help paraplegic and quadriplegic clients. We also handle wrongful death cases. Law wrongful death is complex. It requires a legal expert like Robert Gorence.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the definition of duty of care in a hospital? A duty of care is an obligation to provide safe treatment. It means the doctor must not be careless.
2. What happens if there is a breach of duty of care? If a doctor fails, they are negligent. This can lead to a lawsuit for personal injury.
3. What is a never event? A never event is a shocking mistake. Examples include wrong-site surgery or leaving a sponge inside you.
4. How do I prove malpractice? You must show duty breach causation and damages. An expert testimony is usually needed.
5. What are economic damages? These are real costs. They include medical bills and lost wages.
6. What are non-economic damages? These cover pain and suffering. They also cover disfigurement and loss of enjoyment of life.
7. Is a misdiagnosis considered malpractice? Yes, if a competent doctor would have found the illness. It is a common breach of duty of care.
8. What is the statute of limitations in New Mexico? This is the time limit to file a case. It is usually three years for medical cases, but can vary.
9. Can I sue a hospital for a nurse’s mistake? Yes. Under vicarious liability, the employer is often responsible for the staff.
10. What is comparative negligence? This is when the court says you are partly at fault. It might lower the money you get.
Ask for Help Today
Are you a victim of a surgical procedures error? Do you feel the weight of medical bills? Don’t suffer alone. The Gorence Law Firm is here for you. Robert Gorence is a lawyer Robert Gorence who cares. We handle elder, senior, tenant, and employment injury cases too.
Call us now. Let us be your legal counsel. We will litigate your case with passion. You deserve justice for your injury. Ask us for help today.
Read our Article of the Week for more tips on staying safe and knowing your rights.
Understanding the Legal Duty to Act and Patient Protection
In the legal world, knowing what is duty helps you understand your rights after a medical error. A legal duty definition is the specific obligation one person has to avoid causing harm to another. In New Mexico, a duty of care is owed by every healthcare provider to their patients. This means they must follow a legal duty of care that meets professional standards. If a surgeon is on duty health staff must ensure every step of your care is handled with precision. When they fail, it is a duty of breach that can lead to life-changing injuries.
The Standard of Care and Legal Obligations
To win a case, you must define duty of care within the context of your specific treatment. A simple duty of care description is the requirement to act as a reasonably competent professional would. Many people ask, what is duty of care in a surgical setting? It is the high standard required to keep you safe during invasive procedures. The duty of care law protects you from reckless or careless actions in the operating room. Using a duty of care definition, we can see if your doctor met the necessary requirements.
When a professional provides an explanation of duty of care, they often mention the “reasonable person” rule. In New Mexico, the reasonable care definition is the level of caution a typical, skilled provider would use. If you are confused, our team can explain duty of care in plain English. We look at duty of care examples to see if your experience matches a standard of safety. The duty of care defined in our state helps the jury understand what went wrong.
Exploring the Differences: Loyalty and Care
There is a major difference when comparing duty of loyalty vs duty of care in a legal claim. While loyalty involves acting in your best interest without conflict, duty care is about the quality of the medical work itself. Both are vital duties of care that every hospital must uphold. If you were harmed, you might ask, what are the duty of care requirements for my surgeon? The definition of a duty of care stays consistent: they must protect you from foreseeable harm.
The description of duty of care for a surgeon is much higher than for a regular person. This is because duty in law scales with the level of skill required for the job. In every case, duty is the obligation to act in a certain manner. This is the foundational duty to care law that governs all medical interactions. If a provider forgets their care of duty, the results can be catastrophic. We help you understand what duty of care is so you can seek the money you need to heal.
Proving Negligence: The Four Elements
To hold someone liable, we must look at duty breach causation damages as a whole. First, we establish that a duty to care existed between you and the doctor. Then, we prove that the duty was breached through a specific mistake. A care of duty definition helps us show that the doctor’s actions fell below the line of safety. If the duty breached was the direct cause of your pain, you have a strong claim.
Many clients ask us to define the duty of care specifically for their surgery. This legal definition of duty is the first step in any lawsuit. We provide a thorough duty of care description to the court to show exactly where the provider failed. In New Mexico, duty law is clear about the responsibilities of hospitals and clinics. If they ignore their duty to act definition, they must pay for the harm they caused.
The Role of Duty in Professional Settings
Whether you are in a hospital or a workplace, duty and care go hand in hand. An explanation of duty of care for an employer involves keeping the workplace safe for everyone. However, in a medical setting, the duty of care and breach of duty are often much more complex. We look for a clear care of duty that was ignored during your stay. If you want to define breach of duty, it is simply any failure to meet the standard of care.
Understanding what duty of care is can be the difference between a successful claim and a lost one. We provide an explanation of duty of care that makes sense for your specific injury. Every duty of care responsibility is a promise of safety made by the medical community. If that promise is broken, The Gorence Law Firm will fight for you. We know what is care of duty in New Mexico and how to prove it in court.
Seeking Justice for Your Injury
If you believe your doctor ignored their duty of act, you need a legal partner. We can explain duty of care and how it applies to the errors made during your surgery. Our team works to define the duty of care to ensure the insurance company cannot hide the truth. You deserve to know what is duty to care and how it protects your family. With a strong legal duty of care, we can hold the negligent parties responsible.
Don’t let a breach of duty of care ruin your future. We provide the duty of care definition and the evidence needed to win. Whether it was a routine surgery or a major operation, the duty to act definition remains the same. Ask us for help today to see how duty law can work for you. We are ready to litigate your case and get you the justice you deserve.
In a legal context, duty definition law refers to a formal obligation that requires an individual or entity to adhere to a specific standard of conduct to prevent foreseeable harm to others.
Advanced Legal Concepts in New Mexico Injury Claims
Understanding the origins of modern safety laws helps clarify your current rights. The landmark case of Donoghue v Stevenson established the “neighbor principle,” which serves as the foundation for how we define a person’s legal obligations today. This historical ruling ensures that a professional or business owes a duty to anyone who might be reasonably affected by their actions. In the context of New Mexico law, this translates into a broad legal responsibility to prevent harm through negligence. Whether you are in a hospital or a store, the person in charge must look out for your safety.
For example, a property owner must ensure their premises are free from hidden dangers that could cause a slip or fall. To maintain this safety, managers should conduct a regular risk assessment to identify potential hazards like wet floors or broken stairs. These documented risk assessments are often vital pieces of evidence in a personal injury lawsuit. If a business fails to fix a known danger, they have breached their obligation to the public.
When a judge determines if a specific obligation exists, they may use a multi factor test to weigh the foreseeability of the harm against the burden of preventing it. In some rare cases, such as those involving defective products or ultra-hazardous activities, the law applies strict liability. This means the defendant is responsible for damages even if they were not intentionally negligent. No matter the legal theory used, The Gorence Law Firm knows how to apply these rules to win your case.