New York Medical Malpractice May Be Underreported
According to the Institute of Medicine, preventable medical errors kill as many as 98,000 Americans every year, and injure countless more. The American Association for Justice states that if the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) were to include preventable medical errors as a category, it would be the sixth leading cause of death in America.
However, few injured patients file a medical malpractice lawsuit. According to Harvard Medical Practice Study Group, only one in eight preventable medical errors committed in hospitals results in a malpractice claim. This is unfortunate, as it means many people are shouldering the financial burden of dealing with an injury on their own, when a medical malpractice attorney might have recovered damages.
Patients who have been injured in a hospital, doctor’s office, or other medical setting in the greater NY area may benefit from a consultation with a New York medical malpractice lawyer who can determine if negligence was the contributing factor. Attorneys at The Sanders Firm are well-versed in complex personal injury lawsuits involving medical negligence, and have a proven track record of several multi-million dollar awards.
Causes of medical negligence in NY
For the patient it is often difficult to understand what constitutes medical negligence. You may believe your doctor was doing his best, or that the hospital was just understaffed that night. But it is a health professional’s responsibility to provide a certain standard of care.
Oftentimes, the error lies not in what the doctor did, but what he or she didn’t do. Insurance companies encourage physicians to seek ways to save money, so they may skip critical tests that can result in misdiagnosis to the patient. Healthcare practitioners may also delay important surgeries or treatments longer than necessary, which may have dire consequences and even death.
Common medical malpractice injuries
Though every case is different, some common examples of medical malpractice include:
- Birth injuries
- Surgical mistakes
- Anesthesia errors
- Infections caused by unsanitary conditions
- Medication errors
- Hospital negligence
- Emergency room errors
- Misdiagnosis of cancer
- Inadequate staffing
Understanding liability in medical malpractice
When a healthcare provider deviates from accepted standards of care, and you are injured as a result, the provider or the medical center may be held liable. In these cases, patients may be entitled to significant monetary damages.
Retaining the right New York medical malpractice lawyer is a crucial decision when pursuing legal action. An attorney skilled in medical malpractice litigation can help victims obtain financial compensation for pain and suffering, lost wages, diminished earning capacity, as well as reimbursement for past and future medical expenses, rehabilitation costs and other losses.
Consult an experienced New York medical malpractice lawyer
If you or someone you love has suffered injuries caused by medical malpractice in New York, including Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island, or Long Island, The Sanders Firm provides a free legal consultation to help determine your eligibility for a claim. We’re dedicated to fighting for the rights of injured New Yorkers, and will explain your options for recovering the compensation you need and deserve. Call toll-free: 1-800-Fair-Play (800-324-7752).
