MEDICAL MALPRACTICE
Powers & Santola: Upstate New York Medical Malpractice Attorneys
Failure to Diagnose Cancer · Birth Injuries · Surgical Error
A recent national study [PDF] revealed that ''The equivalent of 390 jumbo jets full of people are dying each year due to likely preventable, in-hospital medical errors" and that "the United States loses more American lives to patient safety incidents every six months than it did in the entire Vietnam War."
The study mentioned above regarding hospital medical errors comes five years after The Institute of Medicine (IOM) first reported that as many as 98,000 hospitalized Americans die every year and 1 million more are injured as a result of preventable medical errors that cost the nation an estimated $29 billion.
WHAT IS MEDICAL MALPRACTICE?
Medical Malpractice Defined
Malpractice is professional negligence and medical malpractice is the negligence of a health care provider. Medical malpractice occurs when a health care provider fails to act in accordance with accepted medical practice. This can either occur when a provider does something that shouldn't have been done or fails to do something that should have been done.
When such a failure results in serious injury, death or the loss of a substantial chance of a better outcome or result, the medical care provider is accountable to the patient for all of the injuries and damages that are the result of his or her negligence.
If you or a loved one has suffered due to any type of medical malpractice, please call the Albany law offices of Powers & Santola today at 866.689.9692 to schedule a free consultation with an experienced upstate New York medical malpractice attorney. You may also contact us via e-mail now for answers to your important questions or to request an appointment.
Please click on the links below for specific information about the following topics:
- Types of Medical Malpractice
- Obstetrical Malpractice
- Birth Injuries
- Cerebral Palsy
- Shoulder Dystocia, Erb's Palsy and Brachial Plexus Injuries; Fetal Complications
- Vaginal Birth After Caesarean Section (VBAC)
- Group B Streptococcus (GBS) and Perinatal Infection
- Heart Attack & Stroke Misdiagnosis & Treatment
- Emergency Room Errors
- Anesthesiologist Malpractice
- Surgical Malpractice
- Failure to Diagnose Cancer (of the breast, lung, prostate, bladder or colon)
- Medication Errors
- Dangerous Prescription Drugs
- Nursing Home Malpractice & Abuse
- Time Limits For Medical Malpractice
- Medical Malpractice - Do I Have a Case?
Although the estimates of death and injury due to in-hospital medical errors contained in these reports are huge, the actual number of deaths is undoubtedly higher. The IOM considered only errors committed in hospitals and not in other medical settings where they undoubtedly also abound, such as clinics, outpatient surgery centers and doctors' offices.
Medical malpractice and pharmaceutical errors encompass a wide range of occurrences including surgical error, birth injury, manufacture or administration of defective drugs, prescription errors, failure to diagnose cancer, misdiagnosis, and anesthesia error.
The study mentioned above concludes that "Although the estimates of patient safety adverse events documented in these two studies vary, the sheer magnitude and impact of every estimate clearly support the IOM's contention that medical injuries are a serious epidemic confronting the American health care system."
New Yorkers who have been injured or lost family members due to fatal medical mistakes are invited to contact an experienced medical malpractice lawyer at the law offices of Powers & Santola in Albany, New York.
