New York Medical Malpractice Lawyer Blog

A report shares how the unfortunate incident of a 17 year old lady’s tragic death due sparked the discussion between law makers, patient advocate groups and Congress about lifting caps for medical malpractice damages.

Many lawmakers, according to the report, are trying to cut down on the cost of health care and one of the ways that they deem necessary to accomplish this task is to put a cap on medical malpractice cases. The lawmakers and groups of physicians seem to agree that if a cap is not put on such medical malpractice cases, it will result in unnecessary lawsuits.

However, the expert along with families of the patients disagrees with this stance. They feel that doctors and hospitals should be held accountable for their negligence.

The hospital where the death of this young woman occurred were quick to note that they were sad about her death and indicated that they have worked to conduct an intensive investigation that would give definitive answers about her death. Hospitals in Manhattan and Queens also strive to eliminate mistakes like this.

One hospital official said, “We take pride in our policy of informing the family and the patient about their care and the treatment that we provide.”

However, this young lady’s family has decided to take it into the court system so that they can have some closure about what happened to their daughter. The young lady’s parents had to cut through so much red tape to get the answers that they required.

Continue reading "Lifting caps for Medical Malpractice Cases " »

In a system where nearly 98,000 deaths and 1 million injuries each year occur, you would think that there would be some sort of reprimand. In 1999 a study discovered that these deaths and injuries take place in our local hospitals. This study shocked the general public, and has led to the truth about medical care coming out in the open.

In New York, a study was initiated from 2002-2007 that involved 10 state hospitals. Researchers discovered that around 18% of patients were harmed by medical malpractice, and that up to 63.1 percent could have been prevented. According to a New York Medical Malpractice Lawyer, almost 2.4 percent of those medical malpractice accidents were seen to be instrumental in the patient’s deaths.

Most hospital malpractice suits have been brought on the inability of the hospital to ensure that infections avoided. These infections come in various forms, from urinary catheters, lines inserted into veins and arteries to ventilators. Errors in medication are also a leading source of medical malpractice. Medication errors affected 162 of the 2,341 patients studied in a North Carolina project.

Officials in Manhattan and Nassau County are calling for mandatory federal-level reporting to ensure that the hospitals be held more accountable for their mistakes. The accountability program would allow patients to compare safety and other options before picking a caregiver, instead of being in the dark when going in for treatment, explains a NY City Medical Malpractice Lawyer. Only 17 percent of hospitals currently have a computerized system available, even though this simple step could minimize medication errors by 80 percent.

Patients injured in hospital medical malpractice are entitled to compensation for their injuries in most cases. Hospitals may be responsible for medical costs, future medical care, lost wages, and possibly limited pain and suffering.

Continue reading "Medical Malpractice Clients Are Entitled to Compensation" »