When a child has been diagnosed with birth injuries, which may have been caused by medical malpractice, surgery may be indicated. It can be very difficult for parents to come to terms with a child so young undergoing surgery, but these procedures may be medically necessary. One type of birth injury that may occur because of medical negligence is a brachial plexus injury. This involves damage to the bundle of nerves located in the shoulder and down the arm. Brachial plexus injuries can result in paralysis, muscle weakness, and loss of sensation in the affected arm. If the child shows no signs of improvement, parents may be advised to consider nerve graft surgery. Nerve graft surgery is usually done at an early age to be effective.

In some cases, surgery may be required for infants who sustain severe head trauma during labor and delivery. Surgery can address hydrocephalus and brain hemorrhaging. The surgeon may need to perform surgical craniotomy drainage, surgical decompression, or shunting.

Medical negligence is truly heartbreaking when it affects the youngest of patients. If your child underwent surgery because of possible medical malpractice by doctors in Long Island, New York, you can contact the law offices of Pegalis & Erickson, LLC at (516) 684-2900.

It is well known that when cancer is detected as early as possible, the patient has a better chance of a favorable outcome. In the early stages of cancer, the disease is confined to one location, which means it can be more effectively treated. Additionally, with the early detection of cancer, patients have access to tissue-sparing surgeries such as lumpectomies instead of mastectomies. Unfortunately, far too many cancer patients are not diagnosed until the disease has already metastasized, or spread to the rest of the body. In some cases, a delayed diagnosis may form the basis for a medical malpractice claim.

Ask Your Doctor about Routine Health Screenings
You can protect yourself from medical negligence and delayed cancer diagnoses by becoming a proactive, informed patient. Schedule an annual wellness exam with your family physician and ask about health screenings that may be appropriate for you. Some health screenings are appropriate for many adults, such as blood tests to check a patient’s white blood cell count. Gender-specific health screenings include cervical cancer screenings for women and prostate cancer screenings for men. You might also consider asking your doctor if you should have a low-dose CT scan to check for lung cancer or a skin exam to check for skin cancer. Also, important is consideration of head and neck Cancer. With more and more head and neck cancers being diagnosed each year, you should discuss cancer screening with your dentist. On routine visits, your dentist should check for any abnormalities in the mouth, tongue, and salivary glands.

Report Abnormal Changes and Symptoms
In addition to routine health screenings, it’s important to report unusual changes to your doctor. It’s well known that lumps in the breasts are a red flag for cancer, but there are many more subtle signs that cancer may have developed. Patients should report unusual bowel or urinary changes, persistent pain, or a lingering cough. Patients should also report enlarged lymph nodes, a mole or beauty mark that bleeds or appears to have changed color, swollen glands, and any type of lump or sore that doesn’t heal.

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with late-stage cancer, you can contact the malpractice law firm of Pegalis & Erickson, LLC at (516) 684-2900. Our medical negligence lawyers serving New York are dedicated to helping our clients become empowered patients. During your free consultation with our medical malpractice team, you will learn about your legal rights and discuss your options.

Physicians aren’t the only people that may be named as defendants in a medical malpractice lawsuit. In some cases, the hospital may be held responsible for medical negligence. For example, a lawyer at a malpractice law firm may seek to prove that the hospital failed to have adequately qualified healthcare providers on staff. Or that the hospital granted privileges to physicians who were unfit which led to avoidable patient injuries.

A key question to consider is whether the healthcare provider who allegedly committed medical malpractice was an employee of the hospital. For example, birth injuries may develop after a negligent delivery performed by a non-employee obstetrician. If so, the hospital may not necessarily be held liable. There is an exception to this: If medical malpractice was committed by a doctor who appeared to be an employee of the hospital, then the hospital may still be held liable. For example, if a patient is brought to the emergency room in a state of severe distress, he or she may not be informed that the ER doctor is not an employee of the hospital.

With more than 40 years of experience handling complex cases, the malpractice lawyers at Pegalis & Erickson, LLC have the answers to your questions. Patients in Long Island, New York can discuss their medical malpractice case by calling us at (516) 684-2900.

When you hire a New York medical negligence attorney to work on your medical malpractice case, one of the first steps he or she will take is to determine which parties might be named as defendants in the lawsuit. For medical malpractice cases, the defendants are usually physicians, which can include internists and cardiologists,obstetricians, surgeons, or other medical specialists who treated the patient, and hospitals or clinics. However, any healthcare professional may be held responsible for acts of medical malpractice, including nursing staff.

Types of Nursing Errors

Physicians may be responsible for most diagnoses and treatment recommendations, but nurses interact with patients much more frequently. Because of this, there is significant room for error. If a patient has a sudden medical emergency, it is the responsibility of the attending nurse to identify the signs of distress and respond appropriately. One type of nursing error is the failure to monitor the patient properly and notify the attending physician that the patient needs assistance. Another example of nursing malpractice involves medication errors. Although a doctor may order a prescription, it is the nurse’s responsibility to administer it to inpatients. Nurses might be found negligent for administering the incorrect medication, failing to administer any medication at all, giving the patient the wrong dosage, or injecting the medication improperly.

Evidence of Nursing Malpractice

Like physician malpractice, nursing malpractice claims must be substantiated with evidence. Physical evidence may include the patient’s medical records or the nurse’s patient notes. In some cases, it may be appropriate for a medical malpractice lawyer to call an expert witness to the stand, who will likely be another nursing professional. This healthcare provider may testify that the defendant nurse deviated from the standard of care and that this directly led to the patient’s injuries.

Pegalis & Erickson, LLC continues its longstanding tradition of serving as effective patient advocates for individuals who have been affected by medical malpractice in Long Island, New York. Our medical negligence lawyers work closely with each client to help him or her navigate the legal system. To request a complimentary review of your case, give us a call today at (516) 684-2900.