A claim of medical malpractice falls under a wide umbrella of situations, that include but are not limited to surgical error, misdiagnosis, medication error, birth injury and medical abuse. Medical malpractice is taken extremely seriously by the courts, and on average pays out a larger compensation than most other types of lawsuits. Damages that are compensated for may include psychological harm, physical harm, emotional distress or pain, financial lose, and medical expenses, both current and future. It is the legal right of every American citizen to file a medical malpractice claim is they feel they have been neglected by a healthcare provider or organization and they have suffered injuries as a result. Nurses can now be held a liable parties in a medical malpractice claim.