Medical malpractice occurs when a doctor, nurse, dentist, chiropractor, or another medical professional does something or fails to do something and as a result the patient is injured. As a result of a mistakes made by medical professionals, every year victims suffer injuries such as birth injuries, paralysis, severe back injuries, or even unwarranted amputations that require the patient to endure lifelong treatment. Sadly, in many cases the patient does not survive. If you are dealing with the challenges of an injury that was caused by a medical mistake it is important to speak with an experienced Suffolk County medical malpractice lawyer who will review the details of your case and help you get fair compensation for the losses you suffered.
Common types of medical malpracticeMedical mistakes can happen at any time during the care of a patient. For example, a doctor may commit medical malpractice by making the wrong diagnosis. After a diagnosis is made, the doctor may make a medical mistake by subjecting the patient to an improper course of treatment. A doctor or other medical professional may also commit medical malpractice by failing to properly warn a patient of the risks associated with a particular course of treatment, or the risks associated with not moving forward with treatment. Thus, medical malpractice claims generally fall into one of three broad categories: failure to diagnose, improper treatment, and failure to warn. The common element to any type of medical malpractice claim is that the medical professional failed to care for the patient in a manner that the average healthcare provider would in similar circumstances.
Common types of medical malpractice cases include:
A birth injury is a particularly devastating type of medical malpractice as such a medical mistake changes the life of a newborn baby forever. Roughly 27 of every 1,000 births will involve a birth injury. A common type of birth injury is cerebral palsy which is a disorder that affects the child's ability to move.
Another all too common type of medical malpractice involves a surgeon leaving medical instruments such as surgical sponges in the patient. Leaving a foreign object in a patient can cause serious medical problems such as infections, physical pain, the need for additional surgery and death.
Pursuing a medical malpractice claimAs a medical malpractice attorney in Suffolk County will explain, in order to have a viable medical malpractice case, you must have suffered some sort of injury or loss. Thus, if your doctor did indeed make a medical mistake, but you did not suffer any type of harm you could not successfully sue for damages.
Patients injured by malpractice in New York have the legal right to compensation for their resulting medical bills that are related to the medical mistake. A successful claim can also result in damages for the income you lost due to being unable to work as well as damages for the pain and suffering you experienced as a result of the new injury and treatment required. If the patient passed away because of the medical error, the victim's family can pursue compensation by filing a wrongful death claim.
Contact the Law Offices of Stephen Bilkis & AssociatesIf your condition was aggravated or your suffered a new medical condition due to an mistake made by a doctor, you should contact an experienced medical malpractice attorney serving Suffolk County who understands the legal issues associated with medical malpractice cases. The staff at the Law Offices of Stephen Bilkis & Associates is experienced in handling cases involving medical misdiagnosis, failure to warn, improper treatment, as well as other types of medical malpractice claims. In addition, we also represent clients in personal injury and wrongful death cases stemming from auto accidents, slip and fall accidents, and other types of accidents. Contact us at 800.696.9529 to schedule a free, no obligation consultation regarding your case. We represent clients in the following locations: the Bronx, Brooklyn, Long Island, Manhattan, Nassau County, Queens, Staten Island, Suffolk County and Westchester County.