Injured by a negligent doctor? I can help.
Medical malpractice lawsuits are among the most complex of all injury cases. They are also particularly disheartening because they are filed against the very professionals who are supposed to protect our health and well-being. In other professions, an act of negligence or wrongdoing may not cost the life of another person. In the medical field, doctors and other healthcare professionals deal with the lives of patients on a daily basis.
Doctors, nurses, surgeons, anesthesiologists and all others in the medical field should be held accountable for their actions. I represent patients who have been injured because of the recklessness, negligence or wrongdoing of medical professionals. I also assist families who have lost loved ones to medical malpractice. With a New York medical malpractice lawyer such as me on the case, a patient and his or her family can feel confident that their rights will be asserted and their interests protected to the fullest extent.
What is medical malpractice?
Medical malpractice may be described as a medical professional’s act or inaction, which constitutes a failure to provide a standard level of care and therefore causes harm to a patient. Professionals in the healthcare field are held to a high standard when it comes to patient treatment and care. They must exercise due diligence and apply all of their training and knowledge in examining, diagnosing and treating patients. When doctors do not do so, they may inadvertently cause serious injuries to patients. A doctor may misdiagnose cancer, costing a patient the opportunity to fight the disease while there is still a chance at succeeding. An anesthesiologist may fail to monitor a patient during surgery, causing the patient to slip into a coma during the procedure. A nurse may forget to write down a patient’s allergy to a particular medication, causing a severe allergic reaction when the patient is prescribed that medicine. There are countless possibilities – all of which may have serious consequences.
I represent clients across New York who have suffered at the hands of negligent doctors. This website contains helpful information about medical malpractice in order to educate patients regarding the types of malpractice and their rights if they have been injured. Feel free to review the following to learn more about each subject:
Anesthesia Error
The administration of anesthesia and monitoring of a patient during a surgical procedure is a delicate process. The proper amount of medication must be used and the patient must be watched carefully to ensure the anesthesia is working properly. Unfortunately, errors in this area of medicine occur, resulting in traumatic injuries to unsuspecting patients.
Birth Injury
A birth injury may include any type of injury to mother or baby before, during or after labor or childbirth. A delayed cesarean section, for example, may result in a lack of oxygen to the baby’s brain and lead to developmental delays or other problems.
Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral palsy is a term used to describe a group of disorders that affect the brain and nervous system. Symptoms usually present before a child is two and may include developmental delays, poor muscle control, abnormal gait and abnormal movements.
Erb’s Palsy
This is a condition that causes arm paralysis because of injury to the brachial plexus nerves, which extend through the neck and shoulder. Shoulder dystocia, where a baby’s shoulder becomes stuck behind the pubic bone during childbirth, is one of the possible causes of Erb’s palsy. Problems during the birthing process may be linked to negligence on behalf of doctors.
Failure to Diagnose
Did your doctor fail to diagnose a serious medical condition? Are you now suffering the consequences? A failure to diagnose cancer, heart attack or other illness or injury may provide grounds for a medical malpractice case. Our attorneys can advise you of your rights and options in this type of case.
Hospital Negligence
Hospitals and other medical facilities may be held responsible if their staff members cause injury to patients through negligence, carelessness or wrongdoing. Some examples may include delayed admittance, nursing errors, emergency room misdiagnoses, medication errors, surgical injuries and poor post-operative care.
Medical Misdiagnosis
The incorrect diagnosis of an injury or illness is a particularly dangerous form of medical malpractice. If a medical condition is incorrectly diagnosed, a patient may receive the wrong treatment or may even be discharged when suffering from a potentially life-threatening condition. In order to make the right diagnoses, doctors must be thorough when conducting routine examinations and examining patients who are complaining of certain symptoms.
Medication Error
Medication errors are the most common form of medical malpractice. These involve cases where a patient is prescribed or administered the wrong medication or the wrong dose. Another type of medication error may occur when a patient is given a drug to which he or she has a known allergy.
Nurse Error
Registered nurses and licensed vocational nurses are medical professionals and are therefore held to the same standard when it comes to patient care. Some examples of nursing malpractice include medication errors, failing to monitor a patient, delaying or failing to respond to a patient in need, improperly performing a procedure and forgetting to note a patient’s symptoms or condition on the patient’s medical chart. A patient injured by a negligent or careless nurse may be able to take legal action against the hospital or medical facility that employs the nurse.
Surgical Error
Though any surgical procedure has its risks, surgeons, anesthesiologists and nurses are required to provide a standard level of care before, during and after surgery. Our firm represents those who have been injured by surgical errors.
Medical Malpractice FAQs
If you have questions about medical malpractice that you would like answered, you can visit this page to review some frequently asked questions about the subject.
Contact me, Alan Ripka, for a Free Case Review.
Medical malpractice occurs when a healthcare provider deviates from a standard of care, defined by what other healthcare providers with similar training and experience would do if faced with the same or similar situation, when this results in injury or death of the patient. A key to establishing a case for a medical malpractice lawsuit is whether another physician of the same training would have developed the same diagnosis and treatment in the same circumstances. Only a lawyer experienced with medical malpractice lawsuits can determine if you have a reason to file suit. I can leverage sufficient resources to work with medical experts to build a compelling case on your behalf.
As a medical malpractice attorney, I may be able to help you. I have represented patients suffering from errors or negligence by physicians, dentists, nurses, pharmacists, plastic surgeons and other healthcare professionals or medical facilities. Contact me today to speak with a knowledgeable medical malpractice attorney about your case.
