Medical malpractice can lead to significant injury at the hands of those we trust the most to care for our well-being. Unfortunately, incidents of medical practitioner negligence occur frequently in New York.
If you, or a loved one, sustained serious injuries due to the negligent acts of a doctor or medical practitioner, you need a lawyer to help you fight for fair financial compensation.
The personal injury lawyers of Gacovino, Lake & Associates, P.C. would like to offer you a complimentary consultation with a medical malpractice lawyer in Patchogue, Long Island. Call us today at 631-600-0000 to learn more.
How Common Are Medical Malpractice Injuries in Patchogue?
On Long Island, in New York, and throughout the U.S., incidents of malpractice occur more often than you may believe. In fact, recent research from U.S. News & World Report indicates that ten percent of U.S. deaths result from preventable medical errors, making this the third-leading cause of death in our country.
The National Practitioner Data Base reported that, for 2016, almost 3,000 adverse action reports and malpractice payments occurred in New York. Adverse actions include action against the practitioner’s license, revocation of clinical privilege, and other official measures.
Of the approximately 1,500 medical malpractice claims paid out in New York in 2016, almost one-third of those exceeded $500,000. Some of the most common types of malpractice accidents in Long Island include:
- Incorrect diagnosis;
- Failure to diagnose;
- Delayed diagnosis;
- Medication errors;
- Surgical errors;
- Incorrect surgery;
- Adverse drug reactions;
- Errors related to childbirth.
- Performing unnecessary surgery;
- Anesthesia errors;
- Failure to advise treatment risks;
- Failure to meet minimum sanitation standards, and
- Failure to provide necessary follow-up care.
Who Commits Medical Malpractice in Patchogue?
Doctors and surgeons are not the only practitioners who can commit malpractice.
Any person who is duly licensed or authorized to provide diagnostic, treatment, or therapeutic services may commit malpractice. This includes nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, pharmacists, testing technicians, and even dentists can cause harm to patients.
You may pursue a claim from an individual practitioner, a hospital, medical practice, urgent care facility, surgery center, pharmacy, imaging facility, or any entity that provided negligent practice.
How Much Is Your Long Island Medical Malpractice Claim Worth?
If you suffered injuries as a result of a medical practitioner’s negligent acts, you have the legal right to pursue a claim for all of your damages.
Your medical malpractice lawyer will include all doctor and medical bills to date, and projected medical care costs you will need in the future. If your injuries left you unable to work, your attorney can include your lost wages to date, projected lost future income, and lost earning capacity.
You can also pursue pain and suffering, lost life enjoyment, and the legal value of any permanent disability or injury.
What Are the Most Common Medical Malpractice Injuries?
Some of the most serious types of malpractice injuries in Patchogue, Long Island, include organ damage or loss, brain damage, and the loss of a digit or extremity.
Surgery revision is common after surgical errors. Serious or life-threatening infections are also common.
For childbirth-related medical malpractice, babies may develop Erb’s palsy and nerve damage, cerebral palsy or other types of brain damage, or, in the worst case, death of mother, child, or both.
In many cases, patients experience permanent disability or even death, due to surgical errors, missed diagnoses, or reactions to medication or anesthesia.
Understanding Medical Malpractice and Negligence
It is important to understand that practitioner errors or mistakes do not necessarily constitute malpractice. To qualify for financial compensation, the practitioner must have committed a negligent act.
Doctors, surgeons, and other medical practitioners must provide patients with a reasonable standard of care. The legal standard, when considering whether a practitioner committed malpractice, compares the subject actions to how a reasonable person having the same qualifications and experience as the practitioner in question would have acted in the same scenario.
Your medical malpractice lawyer must demonstrate the legal elements of negligence, to prove your case.
Duty of Care
The doctor or practitioner owed you a duty to provide a reasonable standard of care. All practitioners owe this duty to their patients.
Breach of Duty
The doctor or practitioner breached their duty of care in the course of providing your treatment.
Causation
The practitioner’s breach of duty directly caused your injuries.
Actual Damages
As a result of the practitioner’s breach of duty, you suffered actual (measurable) damages.
How Can a Medical Malpractice Lawyer Help You?
Having a medical malpractice attorney on your side will ensure the protection of your legal rights. Your lawyer will answer all your questions and ensure you understand your options – and what they may mean for your future.
Your lawyer will be uniquely qualified to gather important evidence to support your claim. Using a variety of resources, your lawyer can provide testimony from medical experts regarding your treatment and prognosis.
Your lawyer must demonstrate the way in which the practitioner’s acts (or failure to act) constituted negligence. Because the burden of proof will fall to your lawyer, prevailing in your case may require going to court. However, in some cases, the practitioner’s insurance company may elect to settle out of court.
Throughout the process, your lawyer will provide support and wise counsel, to help you make the best decision for your future. Your medical malpractice attorney will ensure you have the support and care you need, giving you the opportunity to focus on healing and recovery.
Meet with a Medical Malpractice Lawyer in Patchogue, Long Island Today
The medical malpractice attorneys of Gacovino, Lake & Associates, P.C. provide exceptional service and dedication to our clients on Long Island. We are committed to working tirelessly to make your case and fight for your future.
We would like to offer you a free consultation, to discuss your case and determine if you should pursue a claim for your injuries.
Contact us today at 631-600-0000 to schedule your no-cost, no-obligation meeting with a medical malpractice lawyer in Patchogue, Long Island.
