Stillbirth occurs when a developing baby dies after the 20 ^th week of gestation. If the baby is lost before this point, it is referred to as a miscarriage. Stillbirth is an indescribable tragedy for a family. After it occurs, bereaved parents may need to know why they lost their baby. Unfortunately, the cause of stillbirth cannot always be determined. However, in some cases, it is possible that medical malpractice played a role. Medical malpractice can include mistakes made while the expectant mother was receiving prenatal care.

Infectious Diseases

It is possible for stillbirth to be caused by infectious diseases that affect the mother, baby, or placenta. Infectious diseases are particularly dangerous when they occur prior to the 28 ^th week of gestation. A range of infections can cause the death of a developing baby, including listeriosis, fifth disease, cytomegalovirus, and syphilis. Prenatal care providers are responsible for detecting these possible problems and treating them to protect the health of mother and baby.

Umbilical Cord Problems

Less commonly, a baby may die before birth because of problems with the umbilical cord. The umbilical cord may become twisted or knotted, or it may not be properly affixed to the placenta. This interferes with the supply of oxygen to the baby and can cause stillbirth. Often, a stillbirth that involves umbilical cord problems also involves other complications, such as a prolonged and difficult delivery.

Placenta Problems

Placental abruption is a life-threatening problem that involves the partial or complete separation of the placenta from the uterus before birth. When this occurs, the baby is deprived of the nutrients and oxygen he or she needs. Additionally, placental abruption contributes to the risk of severe bleeding. This complication most often occurs during the third trimester.

The medical negligence lawyers at Pegalis & Erickson, LLC have a longstanding history of securing substantial settlements and jury verdicts on behalf of families affected by birth injuries and stillbirth. If your baby was stillborn, you deserve to know why. Contact our medical malpractice law firm in Long Island, New York at (516) 684-2900 to schedule a consultation.

Did you know that skin cancer is the most commonly diagnosed type of cancer among U.S. residents? In almost all cases, skin cancer is highly curable when it is detected in its early stages. Unfortunately, the disease can still be deadly, especially when patients receive a delayed diagnosis. To reduce the risk of a delayed diagnosis as the result of medical malpractice or other factors, patients can become proactive self-advocates. During this May, which is the Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month, attorneys who handle medical malpractice cases encourage families to take charge of their health.

Skin Cancer Awareness

To promote greater awareness of the dangers of this deadly disease, the University of Michigan Health System has published some startling statistics. According to the university, about 40 to 50 percent of individuals who live to age 65 will be diagnosed with skin cancer at least once. Nearly 74,000 new melanomas were expected to be diagnosed in 2015 alone. According to the published report, fortunately, when melanoma is detected and treated before it spreads beneath the skin, the five-year survival rate is about 97 percent.

Skin Cancer Detection

Patients are encouraged to check themselves and their loved ones regularly for signs of abnormal skin changes, such as new growths, unusual pigmentation, and changes in sensation. It’s also highly advisable to schedule a skin cancer screening with a dermatologist every year. An annual wellness exam with a primary care physician will not necessarily involve an examination of all areas of the skin and so should not be relied upon to detect skin cancers. In addition to your visible skin, a dermatologist should also check your scalp.

Skin Cancer Prevention

Skin cancers are among the most preventable types of cancers. Certain risk factors, such as old age, gender, and family history are not modifiable. However, you can take certain steps to reduce your risk. Avoid unnecessary sun exposure and tanning beds. If you do go outdoors, apply sunscreen 30 minutes before leaving your home and reapply it every two hours. It is also a good idea to wear a hat if you areo going to be in the sun for prolonged periods of time.

If you believe that you received a delayed skin cancer diagnosis because of medical negligence, the malpractice law firm of Pegalis & Erickson, LLC is here to help. For more than 40 years, our medical malpractice lawyers have served residents of Long Island, New York and beyond. Call us at (516) 684-2900 to speak with an attorney free of charge.

The following is our formal comment to the widespread news reports about a recent study by researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine, and their open letter to the CDC asking that medical errors be listed and ranked as the third leading cause of death in the United States. The reports highlighted the lack of tracking and reporting of vital statistics that can hinder research and has kept problems out of the public eye.

The debate over how (and how often) medical errors cause harm has been politicized for decades, with the messaging largely controlled by insurance and medical establishment interests. What is often lacking, however, is data, based on science, to define the problem. This new (Johns Hopkins) study appears to address that gap and sheds a little light on the issue. As lawyers who devote our careers to representing individuals and families whose lives have been sidetracked by medical negligence, we are well aware of the medical community’s propensity to sweep these questions under the rug. That community should stop blaming injured patients and the civil justice system for its own shortcomings, should put its house in order, and should accept accountability for injuries and death caused by negligent conduct. Pegalis & Erickson, Attorneys at Law.

One of the most common forms of medical negligence is hospital-acquired infections, also known as nosocomial infections. Nosocomial infections are defined as any infection that develops after admittance to a hospital for any reason other than the infection. The infection may develop while the patient is still hospitalized, up to three days after the discharge, or up to 30 days after an operation. The most common types of nosocomial infections are urinary tract infections, bacteremia, and pneumonia. The problem with these all-too-common infections is that they can become life-threatening very quickly, given that patients tend to be in an immunologically-weakened state when undergoing treatment in a hospital. Each year, 20,000 people die of nosocomial infections, and many more experience long-term complications from these infections.

If you suspect that medical malpractice may have played a role in your infection, you should contact a medical malpractice attorney for guidance. The medical malpractice lawyer will investigate the possible causes of the infection and determine whether medical negligence is at fault for the infection. For instance, he or she may discover that a member of the surgical team failed to adhere to patient safety protocols, resulting in the introduction of germs to the surgical site. Failure to diagnose and treat infections may also provide the basis for a lawsuit. A medical malpractice lawyer can help you or a loved one seek reparations for infections and their complications.

At Pegalis & Erickson, LLC, we’ve made it our life’s work to serve as effective patient advocates for those affected by medical malpractice. You can contact our malpractice law firm in Long Island, New York at (516) 684-2900.

In each shoulder, there is a large and important bundle of nerves called the brachial plexus. These nerves allow for sensation and movement of the arm and hand. When this network of nerves sustains damage, it is referred to as a brachial plexus injury. This type of injury—even in its milder forms—can take weeks or months to heal. Unfortunately, brachial plexus injuries can occur as a result of birth trauma caused by medical malpractice.

The brachial plexus sustains mild damage when stretched; for example, during a difficult birth procedure. The stretched nerves may heal within a few months; however, the child may have to undergo physical therapy and surgery to strengthen the muscles around the nerves and reestablish arm function. On the other hand, if the nerve root is completely severed from the spinal cord, the child is unlikely to make a full recovery, and will have permanent disabilities, including the loss of sensation and movement in the affected arm.

Certainly, you want the best for your child, and if your baby suffered birth trauma near Long Island, New York, you can turn to the medical malpractice team at Pegalis & Erickson, LLC for guidance. Call us today at (516) 684-2900 to schedule a review of your case.

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.