Patients trust medical professionals to provide them with the highest level of care during treatment. Sometimes, though, medical professionals make serious mistakes that often leave patients in worse condition than before.
Medical malpractice cases are extremely complex, but an experienced Brooklyn medical malpractice attorney could be helpful. Medical malpractice can happen in many ways. Some issues are obvious and demand immediate attention, while other forms of malpractice might remain undiscovered for a certain period. How your injuries occurred will have a significant impact on your case. Further, other medical practitioners besides the doctor might share responsibility for your injuries.
If you or your child has been injured because of a medical professional’s negligence, our Brooklyn medical malpractice attorneys are here to fight for you. For a free case review, contact The Carrion Law Firm at (718) 841-0083.
Types of Medical Malpractice Claims in Brooklyn, NY
While most people are probably familiar with the term medical malpractice, they might not realize that it encompasses many situations where medical professionals fail to provide proper care. All medical professionals are held to a certain standard of care depending on the medical procedures involved. When a medical professional’s care falls below the level, another practitioner would have given, they can be held liable for the injuries their negligence caused.
There are numerous ways medical malpractice can happen. Our Brooklyn medical malpractice attorneys can help you regardless of how a medical professional injured you.
Errors in Diagnosis
One of the most common forms of medical malpractice is diagnostic errors during treatment. An error in diagnosis occurs when a doctor fails to accurately or timely identify the patient’s issue or fails to communicate a correct diagnosis to the patient.
A misdiagnosis can occur if a medical provider fails to determine the cause of their patient’s problems correctly. This will likely lead to improper treatment and could worsen the patient’s overall condition.
Sometimes a diagnosis was never made, leading to a missed diagnosis. Similarly, a diagnosis that should have been made sooner might be delayed, causing the patient to lose precious time in treatment. Medical professionals can be held liable for delayed or missed diagnoses they make.
Lack of Informed Consent
In New York, medical professionals have a duty to get their patient’s informed consent before providing medical treatment. To get informed consent, a medical provider must clarify several things to the patient. First, a medical provider must inform the patient of the nature of the treatment and what steps it will include. A patient must also be informed of any potential positive or negative outcomes of the treatment and any unintended impacts that might occur because of the treatment. A medical practitioner can be held liable if they fail to meet the requirements necessary to gain a patient’s informed consent.
Sometimes a patient’s consent could be implied through their acts rather than their word. When a medical professional argues that your consent was implied, it will need to be shown whether a reasonable medical professional would have believed that the patient’s acts conveyed their consent.
Surgical Errors
Mistakes often occur in surgery rooms that leave patients with further damage and likely need further surgical attention to correct the problem. For example, a surgeon might inadvertently nick a nerve or an artery, causing significant harm.
In other cases, a surgical error might not be noticed until later. In the worst cases, a doctor could be aware of their mistake and assure you that your pain is normal for the surgery you received.
Gross Negligence
Gross negligence refers to the type of accidents that are appalling negligent. These types of mistakes are typically obvious and could only have occurred if a medical professional was extremely careless. For instance, a surgeon might operate on the wrong patient or the wrong body part. Episodes of gross medical negligence are rare, but the damages they cause can be catastrophic.
Birth Injuries
OB/GYN professionals can be held liable if they fall below their standard of care during prenatal care, postnatal care, and delivery. In some situations, patients might receive inaccurate medical advice. In other cases, injuries could be caused to the mother or baby during delivery. Following delivery, OB/GYN doctors are responsible for providing the correct prescriptions and advice for postnatal care.
Foreign Objects Left in the Body
Foreign objects left in the body by a surgical team member can cause some of the most severe injuries and are also one of the hardest errors to discover. Surgical team members should count all their tools and sponges before an operation. Once the operation has concluded, the team is responsible for counting again to ensure the number of tools matches the pre-operation count.
These errors are often only discovered once an infection occurs or the patient begins experiencing significant discomfort. The damage over time from lack of awareness can be serious and will most likely require additional surgery to correct.
Who Can Be Held Liable for Medical Malpractice in Brooklyn, NY
Many people think that medical malpractice lawsuits only apply to doctors and surgeons who cause injuries through professional negligence. However, several types of medical practitioners assist doctors and surgeons with countless tasks. Even if a doctor provided outstanding care, a mistake could have been made at a different point in your treatment to cause your injuries. The following are some of the other healthcare providers that could be responsible for medical malpractice in Brooklyn:
- Nurses
- Anesthesiologists
- Orthopedists
- Physical therapists
- Radiologists
- Chiropractors
- Ophthalmologists
- Pharmacists
- Gynecologists
- Dentists
- Specialists
- Medical facilities
While this list is long, it is not exhaustive. There could be other medical providers whose poor level of care contributed to your injuries. Our Brooklyn medical malpractice attorneys can review your case to help you hold every party that contributed to your injuries accountable.
Our Brooklyn Medical Malpractice Attorneys Can Help
If you have been injured because of the negligence of a medical professional, our Brooklyn medical malpractice attorneys can provide you with a free case assessment today. Call The Carrion Law Firm at (718) 841-0083.