Types Of Medical Negligence
If a medical professional fails to live up to established standards of care, or takes irresponsible or erroneous actions, a patient may suffer a serious injury and be eligible for compensation in court. Medical negligence in New York can take on many forms, and no two cases are completely alike. A patient can be injured by sub-standard care in the emergency room, during a regular checkup, or while undergoing a high-risk surgical procedure.
Medical malpractice lawyers in Long Island, Queens, Brooklyn, and Manhattan understand the basics of what can make a doctor, nurse, or hospital liable in a lawsuit. If you have suffered an injury and you suspect something went wrong in your care, a free consultation with an attorney at The Sanders Firm can help you better understand your rights.
Misdiagnosis may constitute medical malpractice in New York
Whether it’s in a doctor’s office or the emergency room, healthcare professionals sometimes make mistakes. For instance, they may conclude that you have cancer, and you may later discover that you don’t, only after you’ve undergone expensive and unnecessary treatments or tests. On the other hand, the doctor may tell you you’re fine and send you home, only to have you suffer from appendicitis that night. He may take too long to diagnose your condition, when another doctor would have been timelier, resulting in undue injuries or exacerbated illnesses.
All of these instances are examples of “misdiagnosis.” If you suffer a serious injury as a result, you may be eligible for a lawsuit claiming medical negligence in New York.
Doctors and hospitals can be held liable for surgical mistakes
Making a mistake during surgery is one of the most common reasons that medical malpractice lawyers in Long Island, Manhattan, and other areas go to court. Doctors may operate on the wrong side of the body, may cut or tear nearby organs or vessels, or may even leave a foreign object in the body of the patient.
A doctor may also order a surgery that is unnecessary, putting the patient through hardships and risks that he or she didn’t have to endure. According to the Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia, for example, about 20 percent of all pace maker surgeries are unnecessary, as more conservative treatments would work just as well.
Surgical mistakes can also include errors in anesthesia. The anesthesiologist may give the patient the wrong dose of drugs, or fail to review the patient’s records to be sure there he is not allergic to any of the drugs used during surgery.
Birth injuries may constitute medical malpractice
Some births are more difficult than others, especially if the mother has pre-existing medical conditions, or the baby is positioned abnormally. Still, doctors have established procedures to follow in these instances, and if they fail to take the proper precautions and the child is injured, the victim may be eligible for a medical malpractice claim. Birth injuries may include brain injuries, cerebral palsy, broken bones, nerve damage, seizures, and more.
Medical malpractice lawyers in Long Island can help
Medical malpractice can take place in many different situations, causing an innocent person to suffer a serious injury. If you were victimized because of someone else’s carelessness, recklessness, or negligence, you deserve to be compensated. Contact the New York medical malpractice lawyers in Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, Staten Island, the Bronx, and Long Island if you or someone you love has suffered because of medical mistakes. The attorneys at the Sanders Firm will fight for the justice you deserve. Resources
- Malpractice Suits: Frivolous or Real? http://www.webmd.com/news/20060510/malpractice-suits-frivolous-real
- Thousands of surgical errors happening with ‘alarming frequency’ http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/12/21/surgeons-making-thousands-errors-happening-with-alarming-frequency/
