Despite rapid advances in the quality of medical care, the number of New Yorkers victimized by medical negligence remains alarmingly high.
How high? 13,000 deaths and more than 98,000 “adverse events” in New York hospitals every year, according to a Harvard study more than 10 years ago.
Despite the staggering numbers, only a small percentage of patients injured by medical malpractice file lawsuits.
While medical malpractice lawsuits can be complicated, malpractice is nothing more than negligence by a physician. A doctor who fails to act reasonably, and fails to meet the “standard of care” for physicians in the same field of medicine, can be found by a judge or jury to have committed malpractice.
An attorney experienced in medical negligence cases can help determine if you or a family member is a victim of medical malpractice. Contact attorney Tim Higgins at Lemire & Higgins, LLC at 899-5700 or tjh@lemirelawyers.com. The call and consultation are free.
A cancer diagnosis can be devastating for the patient and family. Even more devastating is the realization that the diagnosis could have been made earlier, sometimes before the disease spreads elsewhere in the body, and that the negligent delay in finding the cancer has robbed the patient of a chance to be cured.
The birth of a child should be the happiest day in the life of a parent. But that joy can instantly turn to a lifetime of sadness when medical negligence causes injuries to the innocent newborn. Birth injuries; like children with cerebral palsy caused by a lack of oxygen prior to birth; can cause a lifetime of injury, pain and suffering. The cost of raising and caring for children injured at birth is enormous, creating an even greater burden on the parents.
Most medical malpractice cases must be filed within 2 ½ years of the date of the doctor’s negligence. Longer time limits apply to claims if a child has been hurt because of the malpractice.
But the lawyer for the injured person needs to know about the malpractice as soon as possible. Before a case can be sued in New York, the plaintiff’s attorney must obtain copies of all relevant hospital and medical records, and have them reviewed by one or more doctors (“experts”) who help identify the negligence, and how it caused an injury to the patient.
The stakes are high in medical malpractice litigation. The majority of cases that go to trial result in verdicts for doctors and hospitals. Those healthcare providers and their insurance companies have the resources to pay for in-depth discovery and long trials, and have access to doctors who will testify as experts for the defense.
If you might be a victim of medical malpractice, you need experienced legal help. Contact attorney Tim Higgins at Lemire & Higgins, LLC at 899-5700 or tjh@lemirelawyers.com. The call and consultation are free. There is no attorney’s fee unless L&H recovers money for you.
