Medical Malpractice
Medical malpractice is a specialized area of law involving the negligence of a health care provider. A provider commits malpractice when their actions—or inactions—fail to meet the accepted standard of care in their field or specialty.
Unfortunately, medical negligence can happen in many ways, including:
Surgical errors
Failure to properly diagnose an illness
Medication or anesthesia errors
Failure to obtain informed consent
Emergency room mistakes
Nursing home neglect or abuse
It can also occur in many different settings: hospitals, outpatient clinics, surgical centers, doctors’ offices, and nursing homes.
Serious Injuries from Medical Malpractice
The consequences of medical malpractice can be catastrophic and life-altering. Our cases have involved many categories of malpractice and resulting injuries, including:
Cerebral Palsy
Medication errors
Failure to diagnose
Diagnostic errors
Nursing home errors
Surgical errors
Birth injuries, including fetal asphyxia
Retained objects
Wrongful death
Erb’s Palsy
The Scope of the Problem:
Medical Malpractice Is Far Too Common
The landmark 1991 Harvard Medical Practice Study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that 27.6% of all adverse events in New York Hospitals were caused by negligence, with 70.5% of those events leading to a disability lasting up to six months, 13.6% leading to death, and 2.6% leading to permanently disabling injuries.
A more recent Harvard Medical School study found that “medical errors are, frankly, rampant.” Using data analysis and extrapolation, Harvard estimated that "communication breakdowns, diagnostic errors, poor judgment, and inadequate skill" as well as systems failures in clinical care result in between 200,000 to 400,000 lives lost per year. What this means is that if medical error was a disease, it would be the third leading cause of death in the United States.
How We Handle Medical Malpractice Cases
Medical malpractice claims are significantly more complex than other personal injury cases. They require:
Careful review and analysis of detailed medical records
Coordination with medical experts and specialists
Understanding of hospital procedures, standards of care, and causation
Your Legal Remedies
If you or a loved one has been harmed by medical negligence, potential legal remedies may include compensation for:
Medical care and treatment
Lost wages and future earnings
Lost benefits
Pain and suffering
Loss of enjoyment of life