New York City Medical Malpractice lawyer
If you have been harmed by medical negligence, or lost someone you love due to medical malpractice, you deserve full and fair compensation. Medical malpractice law is extremely complex, particularly in New York. The New York City medical malpractice attorneys of Panzavecchia & Associates, PLLC are here to help you and your family during this difficult time. Please, do not hesitate to call and schedule your free medical malpractice claim consultation.
Understanding Medical Malpractice
Medical malpractice is usually not a clear cut decision. A poor outcome, or even death, does not always mean that malpractice has occurred. On the other hand, many victims never learn that their injuries were caused by medical negligence. Some patients may assume that they don’t have a claim because they signed an informed consent form. However, such a form does not protect a doctor from negligence. Moreover, doctors and other health care professionals rarely speak up and tell patients that they have made a mistake, and some will try to hide errors and claim that patient injuries were the unavoidable result of a normal risk.
If you suspect that your injury or the death of a loved one was caused by medical negligence, please schedule a free consultation with our New York City medical malpractice attorneys. We are here to determine if you have a case.
Examples of Medical Negligence
Medical malpractice comes in many forms. Examples of medical negligence include:
- Obstetrical negligence causing harm to the baby or mother
- Failure to diagnose, misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis
- Surgical mistakes
- Anesthesia error
- Medication errors
- Unsanitary conditions leading to infections
- Needle stick
- Failure to take patient history
- Wrong treatment for the condition
- Continuing an ineffective treatment
- Inappropriate treatment based on patient’s medical history
- Failure to advise patient of diagnosis
- Failure to advise patient of treatment options
- Failure to obtain informed consent
- Unnecessary procedure or treatment
- Premature discharge from emergency room or hospital
- Discharge without proper information and instructions, including instruction for follow-up
- Patient abandonment
New York Medical Malpractice Time Limits
Every state imposes a time limit for filing your medical malpractice lawsuit. It is called the statute of limitations and in New York it is 30 months from the date that the malpractice occurred. However, there are specific circumstances that can give you more time.
- If you were under continuous treatment for the related condition, the clock does not begin to run until the treatment ended.
- If a foreign object was left inside of your body during surgery, you have one year after the object was discovered or should have been discovered, even if it is discovered more than 30 months after it was left in your body
- If you were a minor child when the malpractice occurred, you have 10 years from the date of malpractice or until your 21st birthday, whichever comes first.
Do not rely on these exceptions and wait until you believe it is the last minute. Each case is unique and determining how much time you have can be complicated. For instance, the court may have a different opinion than you do about what constitutes continuous treatment in your case.
To learn more about medical malpractice and your rights, please call the New York medical malpractice attorneys of Panzavecchia & Associates, PLLC at 888-LAW-2204 or send us an email. We offer free consultations and we can meet you in any of our New York City area law offices.