Healthcare Provider Defense Lawyers in Delaware

Helping Medical Practitioners Defend Their Rights

Individuals in the medical field — regardless of their job role — spend years getting to their positions. Even entry-level nurses and physician assistants must go through extensive training before they can even step into a clinical setting. Of course, such devoted professionals still face the same challenges as other citizens. This means you or a loved one could easily be accused of a crime. If this happens, a healthcare provider lawyer in Delaware may be able to help.

At Schwartz & Schwartz, Attorneys at Law, we know what it’s like to work in a professional field. Our attorneys face similar education and licensing requirements as those in the healthcare industry. This means we fully recognize how a single mistake or unfair criminal charge could ruin a person’s professional career. If you’re facing charges, you don’t have to face them alone. Contact us today for a free consultation.

What Types of Charges Do Healthcare Providers Experience?

When most people think of crimes committed by medical professionals, their minds immediately go to healthcare insurance fraud. Of course, there are many other criminal activities frequently attributed to those in the field. These include improper coding, providing unnecessary treatment, Medicare or Medicaid fraud, overbilling, Social Security fraud, and failure to report as a mandated reporter. These crimes are the most well-known because they’re the most likely to make the news.

As it turns out, though, these aren’t the most common charges levied at medical professionals. In fact, the healthcare provider lawyers at Schwartz & Schwartz most frequently represent these professionals in matters such as:

• Driving under the influence
• Sex offenses
• Drug offenses
• Tax fraud
• Failure to pay taxes

As stated previously, healthcare specialists are just normal citizens who have a particular set of knowledge for their profession. When a doctor, nurse, pharmacist, or other medical professional faces charges, it’s typically not in relation to their career. Unfortunately, this doesn’t mean that a conviction — or even unproven charges — can’t have a detrimental effect on their lives. In many cases, this is due to the Delaware Division of Professional Regulation (DPR) and even review boards at your own hospital.

Can You Keep Your Arrest Out of the News?

If you stay informed on local and national media, you’ll eventually witness a medical professional in the news for committing a crime. If this happens to a local practitioner, their best bet for acquittal may be to seek out a healthcare provider lawyer in Delaware. However, is there any way to avoid media attention in the first place? After all, that sort of professional stain can last long after a trial — even if such a trial ends in acquittal.

Unfortunately, no one can guarantee that a story will stay out of the news. Even crimes like driving under the influence — which typically would draw zero interest from a journalist — can become big news when a medical professional is involved. However, the lawyers at Schwartz & Schwartz, Attorneys at Law, have successfully petitioned authorities in the past to not publicize information.

The best way to avoid media exposure — and thus a potential public relations nightmare that lasts long after charges are filed — is to contact our law firm as quickly as possible. We’ll do everything in our power to prevent negative publicity in your case. Of course, this won’t always be possible. If the media does find out about your situation, though, we can deal with all press inquiries you may receive.

Can Delaware Healthcare Lawyers Help With Professional Implications?

When a medical professional faces serious charges, there will likely be professional implications. In many instances, self-reporting laws may obligate you to alert your employer, licensing organizations, and others. Before going this route, however, you should speak with a healthcare provider lawyer in Delaware. The last thing you want to do is report something that could ruin your career when you’re not legally required to.

Of course, there is a good chance that you may end up before your hospital’s Medical Executive Committee or the Delaware Division of Professional Regulation. Inquiries and investigations by either of these can result in detrimental effects on your career. In the case of the DPR, we’ve even seen what appeared to be informal joint investigations with the Delaware State Police. Regardless of what professional consequences you’re up against, a Delaware healthcare provider lawyer may be able to help.

What Is a Multidisciplinary Approach?

Hiring a healthcare provider lawyer in Delaware may be the smartest thing you could do. Of course, it’s important to realize that not all law firms will provide comparable services. Some will merely take on your case and try to negotiate a plea bargain. Others will jump straight into a trial thinking the facts are on your side. There are times when each of these strategies is the right approach, but you should find a Delaware criminal defense attorney who offers more.

At Schwartz & Schwartz, Attorneys at Law, our legal professionals take a multidisciplinary approach to representing our clients. If you actually engaged in the crime you’re charged with — as opposed to being wrongfully accused — there are often underlying personal, emotional, and family issues that led to such behavior. After all, no one wakes up in the morning hoping to engage in criminal activity, get arrested, and watch their career go up in flames.

That’s why we take a holistic approach to the law. That means we’ll often work directly with your doctor, counselor, and support network in order to help you obtain the medical, rehabilitative, and psychological support you need. This approach lets you get to the root of the problem and work toward solving it. Additionally, this will often provide favorable optics for your case since prosecutors and the public often want to see folks persevere over their ordeals.

Contact Our Healthcare Provider Defense Lawyers in Delaware Today

Most who enter the medical field do so with the best of intentions. Getting into the industry takes a lot of work and diligence, so only those who are truly committed typically make it. If you’re being charged with a serious crime, all this hard work could simply vanish. It’s not inaccurate to say that healthcare professionals stand to lose much more than most people if convicted. This is why you should work with an experienced Delaware criminal defense attorney.

At Schwartz & Schwartz, Attorneys at Law, our experienced legal professionals have spent years defending healthcare professionals from criminal allegations. During this time, we’ve also seen countless medical practitioners in the media who have lost everything — potentially because they didn’t receive appropriate legal advice. Contact us today by calling 302-678-8700 to schedule a consultation. Our healthcare provider lawyers in Delaware will work diligently to protect you.