Cerebral palsy is often thought of as being a disease. In fact, it’s a group of disorders that can involve a range of symptoms and impairments related to nerve functions such as movement. Cerebral palsy can range in severity from mild to debilitating, often children with this disorder often require intensive and ongoing care. When cerebral palsy is the result of medical malpractice, parents may choose to consult a lawyer to discuss filing a lawsuit. Compensation from a jury award or settlement can help parents make sure their children receive the lifelong care they need.

Myth: Cerebral Palsy is Not Preventable
It’s true that cerebral palsy is not always preventable. However, sometimes cerebral palsy is the result of medical errors committed by negligent healthcare providers. For example, a healthcare provider may fail to detect a serious maternal health problem, such asgestational diabetes, or a pregnancy-induced hypertensions. Each of these conditions can result in the brain damage that is characteristic of cerebral palsy. This disorder can also result from trauma during labor and delivery. The baby may also become deprived of oxygen, which causes brain damage. The risk of this complication is greater when a healthcare provider fails to notice signs of fetal distress.

Myth: All Children with Cerebral Palsy Have Communication Deficits
Many children with cerebral palsy do have difficulty with communication. However, a speech therapist can help them improve their skills. A speech therapist can show children how to use alternative communication methods, such as sign language, communication boards or cards, and electronic devices.

Myth: Nothing Can be Done to Ease the Financial Burden of Living with Cerebral Palsy
Another common myth about cerebral palsy is that children with serious deficits can never become independent, productive members of society. Children with severe impairments will indeed require lifelong care. Such care is very expensive. A jury award can help ease the financial burden families face when seeking lifelong care for their children.

If your child was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, you deserve to know the reasons why. At Pegalis & Erickson, our medical malpractice lawyers in Long Island, New York can thoroughly investigate your case to determine if medical malpractice led to your child’s birth injuries and cerebral palsy diagnosis. For more information, call (516) 684-2900 or visit us on the Web.

Thanks to public awareness campaigns, women have been empowered to take control of their wellness by evaluating their risk of heart and vascular disease. Yet, cardiovascular disease is also the leading cause of death in the U.S. for men. Men often rely on their doctors to provide screening recommendations and lifestyle advice. Unfortunately, misdiagnosis and delayed diagnosis are not uncommon. Men can protect themselves from both medical malpractice and vascular disease by becoming better informed about health issues during Men’s Health Week, which is designated as the second week of June.

Aortic Disease
One type of vascular disease men may be diagnosed with is aortic disease. The aorta is the body’s largest artery. If the aorta is affected by vascular disease, it can dilate, or develop an aneurysm. An aneurysm is a bulging, weakened area of a blood vessel that may sometimes rupture. Or, the aorta may tear, which is known as dissection. Aortic disease can increase the risk of future life-threatening vascular problems. Some examples of conditions and diseases that can lead to aortic disease include high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, connective tissue disorders, and genetic conditions like Marfan syndrome.

Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD)
When narrowed blood vessels cause a reduction of blood flow to the limbs, it is known as peripheral artery disease. If you have PAD, it means that the limbs, typically the legs, do not receive enough blood to meet the body’s needs. This can cause symptoms such as leg pain while walking, cramping, and slow healing sores. PAD can also indicate widespread atherosclerosis, which increases the risk of stroke and heart attack.

For more than 40 years, the medical malpractice team at Pegalis & Erickson has been successfully advocating for the rights of injured patients and their families. If you or a loved one has suffered injuries as a result of misdiagnosis, delayed diagnosis, or other forms of medical negligence in Long Island, NY, you can call us right away at (516) 684-2900. Our medical negligence lawyers will carefully review your case and explain your legal options.

When you consult a medical malpractice lawyer, he or she will evaluate your case to determine which parties should be named as defendants. In some cases, this may include the hospital or clinic at which you received treatment. Your medical malpractice lawyer will need to know if you took the medication as it was prescribed to you or if a healthcare provider administered the medication. For example, a nurse may have injected a medication into your IV line. It may have been the wrong medication or the wrong dosage, or the medication may have been contraindicated for use because of other drugs that were prescribed to you. Under these circumstances, you could file a lawsuit against the hospital and responsible medical care providers because of medication errors.

Another reason why your medical malpractice lawyer might name the hospital as a defendant is if you delivered a child at the hospital and your baby was the victim of medication errors. For example, there have been cases where the wrong dosage of medication is given causing severe injury or even death.

If you or your child suffered injuries as a result of medication errors near Long Island, New York, you can pursue justice in court. For more information, call the medical malpractice law firm of Pegalis & Erickson at (516) 684-2900.

A cancer misdiagnosis can have devastating effects. If you or a loved one has suffered from this form of medical malpractice, you could visit a malpractice law firm to discuss your legal options. Cancer misdiagnosis can occur when a healthcare provider fails to order appropriate tests or fails to interpret test results correctly. This can result in costly delays in receiving a cancer diagnosis, which subsequently results in delayed treatment.

When a patient doesn’t undergo cancer treatment as quickly as possible, this gives the disease an opportunity to spread beyond its point of origin. The cancer may spread to the lymph nodes, for example, which allows it to more easily spread to other tissues and organs. When cancer has progressed in this manner, it is referred to as metastasized cancer. A patient’s prognosis when there is advanced cancer is generally much less favorable than it would have been for early stage cancer. In other words, cancer misdiagnosis may sometimes cost the patient his or her life. When patients do survive, they must typically undergo much more invasive and extensive treatments than they may have needed if their disease had been treated early.

A medical malpractice lawyer at Pegalis & Erickson can review your case during your free consultation. Call our malpractice law firm in Long Island, New York at (516) 684-2900 to learn more.

The loss of a child is unimaginably heartbreaking for parents. If your baby was stillborn, you have the right to know whether medical malpractice contributed to your loss. Although a lawsuit can never truly compensate you for losing your child, it may help you to find some measure of closure.

Defining Stillbirth
A stillbirth is considered to be the loss of a baby when the expectant mother was past the 20 ^th week of gestation . Pregnancy loss before that time is considered a miscarriage.

Understanding Early Warning Signs
Stillbirth can occur without warning. However, when symptoms do arise, the expectant mother may experience back or abdominal pain, vaginal bleeding, or an abrupt decline in fetal movement. Obstetricians should instruct women past the 28 ^th week of gestation to track fetal movements daily. Earlier tracking is recommended for women with a high-risk pregnancy. To track the baby’s kicks and other movements, women should choose a time of day at which her baby is typically the most active. They can then recline and track the length of time it takes to feel 10 kicks. An abrupt increase or decrease in kicks, or a lack of kicking for two hours indicates a potential emergency.

Delivering a Stillborn Child
Parents of a stillborn child face many difficult decisions, including whether to induce labor. When a child dies before labor, it is medically safe to carry the child. Labor will naturally begin in about two weeks. If parents choose to wait for natural labor to begin, they must be prepared to handle the physical changes to the child’s appearance. Many women find it emotionally traumatizing to carry a dead child and so they may elect to induce labor. If the stillbirth is the result of medical negligence, a lawsuit may seek compensation for emotional distress suffered by the mother.

The loss of a child is an unspeakable tragedy, particularly when stillbirth could have been prevented. If you decide to pursue a lawsuit near Long Island, New York on behalf of your baby, the medical malpractice team at Pegalis & Erickson will be by your side every step of the way. For a confidential consultation about stillbirth cases, call (516) 684-2900.

When you turn to Pegalis & Erickson because you’ve suffered from medical malpractice or you’ve lost a loved one due to wrongful death, you may feel comforted knowing that our medical negligence lawyers take the time to truly understand your situation and concerns. Watch this video to hear from Steven Pegalis about the personalized approach he takes with each client.

Mr. Pegalis is keenly aware that a medical malpractice case is about much more than just the factual allegations; it involves, as he puts it, real people who need help with significant problems. It’s his mission to ensure that these individuals get the help that they need. In this video, you’ll also hear from some of the people who know Mr. Pegalis. They discuss his remarkable commitment to his clients and passion for his cases.

You can schedule a consultation at Pegalis & Erickson by calling (516) 684-2900. Our personal injury lawyers near Long Island, New York focus on helping victims of medical negligence obtain compensation for their injuries.

Medical malpractice occurs with alarming regularity in the U.S. Yet, despite the prevalence, there are many persistent myths regarding doctor negligence and medical malpractice lawsuits. If you or a loved one has suffered as a result of possible medical negligence, you can turn to a medical malpractice lawyer for assistance. Your attorney can answer any questions you may have and explain the truth behind common myths.

Myth: Medical Malpractice Cases Usually Go to Trial
Some medical malpractice victims may hesitate to consult a lawyer because the idea that their case will go to trial is a little intimidating. However, the majority of all medical negligence cases do not go to court. In fact, approximately 96 percent of all of these cases are settled out of court. This means that the plaintiff agrees to accept a settlementoffer, or a specific amount of money, without the need for a trial.

Myth: Medical Malpractice Lawsuits are Often Frivolous
Some individuals have suggested that medical malpractice lawsuits are not only driving up the cost of healthcare, but that many of these cases are frivolous. In fact, medical malpractice payouts account for a tiny fraction of the overall healthcare industry, are covered by liability insurance, and are not responsible for increasing costs to the consumer. Furthermore, studies have found that the vast majority of these cases are meritorious. Most of them involve serious injury or wrongful death.

Myth: Medical Malpractice Isn’t Always Preventable
The nature of medical malpractice is that these errors are preventable and that the healthcare provider made a mistake that led to injury or death. Thousands of people die each year in the U.S. because of medical mistakes that could have been prevented.

If you have questions or concerns about filing a medical malpractice lawsuit, the legal team at Pegalis & Erickson will be happy to assist you. You can contact our malpractice law firm in Long Island, New York at (516) 684-2900 or visit our website to chat with a helpful representative. The attorneys at our law firm routinely handle cases involving birth injuries, medication errors, wrongful death, and other forms of medical malpractice.

So many problems can occur during labor and delivery, often as a result of medical malpractice. If your child was diagnosed with a birth injury, you can work with a medical malpractice attorney to assess the possibility that medical negligence caused the health problem. Sometimes, a medical malpractice lawyer may file a lawsuit on the basis of negligent prenatal care. For example, a physician may have failed to diagnose the mother with contagious disease, gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, anemia, or other medical condition that can affect the health of the fetus.

Negligence also frequently occurs during labor and delivery. For example, the healthcare team may fail to properly monitor the fetal heart rate or they may fail to respond appropriately to signs of fetal distress. This may lead to a delay in ordering an emergency C-section when one is needed. Other birth injuries occur because the obstetrician failed to properly use instruments such as vacuum extractors or forceps, which can cause the child to develop serious disabilities.

Families of children who have been diagnosed with birth injuries can turn to Pegalis & Erickson for legal guidance. To schedule an appointment with a birth injury lawyer in Long Island, New York, call (516) 684-2900.

No parent wants to consider the possibility of losing a child before welcoming him or her into the world. Unfortunately, medical malpractice can all too often result in stillbirth. After the loss of a child, parents are often faced with more questions than answers. If medical staff are resistant to answering questions, parents can turn to a malpractice law firm in Long Island for assistance.

How did This Happen?
After the loss of a child, one of the most common questions parents ask is how this could have happened? While there are identifiable causes of stillbirth, the exact cause in a particular case may sometimes be unknown. Some of the possible causes of stillbirth include chromosomal disorders, poor fetal growth, placental abruption, and chronic health conditions of the mother. Sometimes, a healthcare provider may be negligent in failing to diagnose or treat a health problem that can lead to these avoidable causes of stillbirth.

Could My Baby Have Been Saved?
This is a difficult question to answer because it depends on the cause of stillbirth. Parents should try not to blame themselves for the loss of the baby. Sometimes, pregnancy loss occurs due to uncontrollable factors. At other times, it’s because of the negligence of the OB/GYN staff.

What Should I Expect from the Recovery?
Recovering from stillbirth can be a very difficult time in a woman’s life. This is particularly true if the baby died in the uterus, which means that the woman will need to have labor induced or undergo a cesarean section. After stillbirth, it’s not uncommon for women to experience physical pain and discomfort. Parents may suffer from overwhelming depression and other psychological issues.

The legal team at Pegalis & Erickson would like to extend our condolences to parents who have suffered the loss of their children. After the tragic loss of a child due to medical malpractice, you may wish to seek justice on behalf of your child. Please call (516) 684-2900 to speak with a medical malpractice attorney in Long Island, New York and discuss your legal options.