Albany Medical Malpractice Lawyer: Powers & Santola, LLP

★★★★★

We absolutely can’t thank you enough.

Powers & Santola was so knowledgeable and caring. I was so very fortunate to find such a great law firm.

- John

Upstate New York
Medical Malpractice
Lawyers

Medical malpractice is the third leading cause of death in the United States (after heart disease and cancer). Unlike heart disease and cancer, medical malpractice is completely preventable. Independent research estimates that up to 440,000 Americans die from preventable hospital errors annually.

In 2018, more than $4.4 billion dollars was paid to patients who were seriously injured or killed by preventable medical errors. 96.5% of that amount was paid as a result of settlements.

At Powers and Santola, our medical malpractice lawyers have decades of experience recovering top settlements and verdicts for victims of medical negligence. Five of our attorneys have been repeatedly recognized by their peers in The Best Lawyers in America© for their excellence as medical malpractice lawyers. Three have earned recognition as Medical Malpractice Lawyer of the Year.

We will evaluate your case for free. Contact our Upstate New York medical malpractice attorneys today at our offices in Albany, Syracuse, and Rochester by phone or through our online form.

What Are the Elements of a Medical Malpractice Case?

Medical malpractice is defined as the failure of a medical professional to exercise the care and skill provided generally by medical professionals under like conditions and similar circumstances.

To win a medical malpractice lawsuit, you must generally prove:

One or more health care providers failed to act in accordance with accepted medical practices;
The malpractice was a direct and substantial cause of the injury or death.

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Source: Diederich Healthcare’s 2020 Medical Malpractice Payout Analysis

Determining whether your medical malpractice case has merit requires an extensive review of your medical history. The process starts with our detailed interview with you. If it appears your case has merit, the next step is for a medical malpractice lawyer to obtain and review all relevant medical records.

We also review relevant medical literature to determine the appropriate standard of care when the injury occurred. We retain the best and most appropriate independent medical experts available to review your file and to provide us with an objective assessment of your case.

Then, we can tell you whether you have a claim.

Please note: We never charge a fee for determining whether your case has merit.

Medical Malpractice Claims We Handle

At Powers & Santola, we handle all types of medical malpractice cases, including:

Missed or Delayed Cancer Diagnosis

The missed or delayed diagnosis of cancer is a particular concern of our law firm. A patient’s prognosis depends on timely and accurate detection of their disease. New York recognized the loss-of-chance doctrine, which allows patients to recover damages when a delayed cancer diagnosis costs them the opportunity to prevent much of the harm caused by their disease.

Surgical Errors

Critical errors may be made in preparing a patient for surgery (pre-operative errors) and during the course of an operation. These errors include wrong-site surgeries, organ perforation, anesthesia errors as well as leaving foreign objects in a patient. In the postoperative phase, the failure to provide proper observation and treatment may lead to infections, blood clots, internal bleeding, respiratory issues, and other serious health problems.

Improper or Inadequate Treatment

Due to time constraints, staffing issues, miscommunication, and other reasons, costly mistakes can be made in emergency departments that harm patients. Common errors involve the failure to diagnose and properly treat heart attack or stroke patients, identify a brain injury, timely admit a patient, and order necessary tests such as EKGs and X-rays.

Obstetrical Birth-Related Injuries

A mother and her child may suffer injuries before, during, and immediately after the child’s birth due to the negligence of those in charge of their care. Maternal injuries may include uterine rupture and infection and perinatal infection. A child may suffer shoulder dystocia, brachial plexus injuries, hypoxia, and extracranial or intracranial injuries that may lead to permanent, debilitating conditions such as Erb’s palsy or cerebral palsy.

Medication Errors

Mistakes can be made when prescribing medication, filling out prescriptions at the pharmacy or administering medication. Patients may receive the wrong medication or wrong dosage, or they may receive medications that interact dangerously with each other.

The National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention (NCCMERP) defines a medication error as “any preventable event that may cause or lead to inappropriate medication use or patient harm while the medication is in the control of the health care professional, patient or consumer.”

Specific medication errors may include:

Lack of medication for a patient in need
Administration of the wrong drug
Administration of the wrong dosage
Untimely administration of medication – too late or too soon
Administration of medication that interacts adversely or exacerbates the patient’s medical condition.

Missed or Delayed Cancer Diagnosis

Nursing Home Neglect and Abuse

Elderly and disabled patients in nursing homes may be physically and emotionally abused by those who have been trusted to care for them. Residents’ basic needs may also be neglected, leading to dehydration and malnutrition, bedsores, infections, fall injuries, and other problems.

CONTACT AN ALBANY, ROCHESTER OR SYRACUSE
Medical Malpractice Lawyer

Each medical malpractice lawyer of Powers & Santola, LLP, accepts cases involving doctors, nurses, anesthesiologists, pharmacists, radiologists, and other medical professionals. Our firm also handles medical malpractice cases occurring in hospitals, surgical centers, clinics, and doctors’ offices. We help clients with pharmaceutical malpractice cases, general medical malpractice, and abuse that occurred in nursing homes.

To discuss how we may assist you, contact us today by phone or online to schedule a free initial consultation. A medical malpractice lawyer is ready to help you.

Sources / More Information

Becker’s Hospital Review
New York Times
Surgical Malpractice

Source: Diederich Healthcare’s 2020 Medical Malpractice Payout Analysis

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Delayed Cancer
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Malpractice

Wrongful
Death

Personal
Injury

Auto
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Traumatic
Brain Injury

Changing Lives for the Better

When someone injures you, your life gets turned upside down. Suddenly, you may face a ton of medical bills. You may be unable to work or help out around the home. Others may need to care for you around the clock. Nothing is the same.

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