Medication errors, birth injuries, and delayed diagnoses are all common types of medical malpractice that probably won’t ever be eliminated entirely. Improvements in hospital protocols and medical technology can help manage some of the risks. But unfortunately, advanced technology also opens the door to new types of medical negligence. Here are some of the top risks to watch out for during 2017.

Electronic Heal th Records (EHRs)

The days of paper patient charts are officially over. These days, doctors are more likely to consult a laptop or iPad in the exam room. Electronic health records (EHRs) document, manage, and share patient information in real time with other authorized users. This means that a patient’s lab results can be made instantly available to his or her primary care physician. When used properly, EHRs can be highly effective in coordinating a patient’s care. Unfortunately, not all doctors are adapting well to the digital age. If a healthcare provider has access to a patient’s EHR, but fails to refer to the vital information included in it, it’s possible to make a crucial error. For instance, the doctor might prescribe a medication a patient is allergic to or which is incompatible with other medications the patient is taking.

Patient Identification
Despite technological advances, errors in patient identification are still among the most common types of hospital negligence. When the wrong information is attached to the wrong patient record, it’s possible for doctors to administer incorrect treatment or even to perform the wrong sort of surgery. Hospitals have a responsibility to take reasonable preventive measures, such as by implementing strict registration desk protocols. Hospitals are also responsible for verification of patient’s identity wrist bands prior to administration of medications.

Here at Pegalis & Erickson, LLC, we understand the confusion and mixed feelings that can follow an act of medical malpractice in New York. Our professionals can help you understand the issues involved with your case, and sort through your options for legal recourse. Call us at (516) 684-2900.

Medical malpractice can have life-altering consequences for patients. An attorney can help affected patients pursue the compensation they need to move forward with their lives. It’s possible to name a hospital as a defendant along with one or more healthcare providers. For instance, a medical malpractice lawyer may present evidence that shows the hospital was negligent in failing to staff sufficient numbers of qualified healthcare personnel.

This act of hospital malpractice can be particularly serious in the emergency department. If there aren’t enough ER doctors, or the ER doctors aren’t adequately qualified, substandard treatment or delays in treatment can jeopardize a patient’s health. A hospital might also be found liable for neglecting to refer patients for follow-up care with their primary doctors or a specialist.

Patients who have been affected by acts of medical negligence near New York are invited to contact Pegalis & Erickson, LLC at (516) 684-2900. We are a malpractice law firm committed to empowering patients and their families.

Birth injuries are a particularly tragic type of medical malpractice. It’s devastating to learn that a child will have a lifelong disability before he or she has a chance to enjoy childhood. Sometimes, new mothers are also affected by injuries during labor and delivery, and these can be fatal. After a wrongful death, families need answers and they deserve justice. A wrongful death lawsuit may be appropriate for some cases of maternal death.

Causes of Wrongful Death of the Mother

Despite the advanced healthcare system in the U.S., this country has the worst record for maternal deaths among developed nations, and more than half of those deaths are preventable. It’s possible for new mothers to suffer a fatal medical problem before going home from the hospital, but many of them die days or even weeks afterward. Some experts suspect that one reason for this is that the increased attention on the well-being of the newborn corresponds with a decrease in attentive care of the mother. As a result, hundreds of new mothers in the U.S. die from the following:

• Heart problems, including cardiomyopathy
• Massive postpartum hemorrhage
• Infections
• Preeclampsia (pregnancy-induced hypertension)
• Blood clots

Elements of a Maternal Death Case
Every civil lawsuit must have certain elements present to proceed. In maternal wrongful death cases, it must be proven that the mother’s death was the result of medical malpractice, and the surviving family has suffered losses as a result of the wrongful death, which can include loss of financial support, household services, love, and guidance. It’s possible for a lawyer to file the lawsuit against multiple parties, which may include the hospital, obstetrician, nurses, and other physicians who rendered negligent care and treatment.

Consequences of Maternal Death
The death of a new mother is an unimaginable tragedy. The child will never have the opportunity to know his or her mother, and the other family members must cope with caring for a newborn in the midst of their grief, as well as their own individual loss. Nothing can make this situation better, but a lawsuit can give the family a sense of justice, as well as compensatory damages for medical expenses, funeral expenses, and loss of support and companionship.

Pegalis & Erickson, LLC offers our sincere condolences to families affected by wrongful death. There is nothing that can bring your loved one back, but you may wish to pursue justice with a wrongful death lawsuit filed in New York. Call (516) 684-2900 and let us know how we can help your family.

Although healthcare providers are typically conscientious and work hard to ensure that errors don’t happen, medical malpractice and medical negligence can and do occur. One often-overlooked area of mistakes in the medical setting is errors with intravenous systems. Here are some commonly overlooked IV mistakes that every patient should know about.

Not Recognizing Damage to the Infusion Device In the past, checking infusion devices for signs of damage was commonplace in medical settings. Now, because devices come with integrated security features, checking every device before using it is often overlooked. Unfortunately, devices can have damage that is not caught by the integrated safety system that puts patients at risk. Often, this damage could have been identified during a pre-use inspection of the infusion device.

Not Using the Roller Clamp
IV tubing comes equipped with a roller clamp that allows the tubing to widen and narrow as necessary to control the flow of medication. Closing the roller clamp stops the flow of medication completely, while opening the clamp the entire way allows medicine to flow unrestricted into the patient’s line. Not using the clamp appropriately or failing to use the clamp at all can cause patients to receive an inadequate amount of medication or may cause them to receive too much. Both scenarios can be dangerous for patients and can impact treatment outcomes.

Not Checking the Drip Chamber
The drip chamber of an IV infusion device lets air escape from fluid to reduce the risk of an air embolism. It also helps to control the rate of fluid delivery. A faulty drip chamber could provide a patient with too much medication, which can be life-threatening. Safety features of IV systems are not always sufficient to identify problems with the drip chamber, so if it is not manually checked, medication could be delivered too quickly, jeopardizing the patient.

If a problem with an IV infusion system occurred when receiving medical care, causing a permanent injury contact the medical malpractice lawyers at Pegalis & Erickson, LLC. Our New York medical malpractice attorneys will gather the details and help determine if there was medical negligence.involved. Contact us today by calling (516) 684-2900.

There are many reasons why patients decide to end their relationships with their current doctors. Consistently long wait times, difficulty getting appointments, and frequent prescription refill errors are just a few of the most common. Other patients decide it’s time to switch if they no longer trust their doctor to provide sound medical guidance, or if the patients suspect they’ve been harmed by medical malpractice. When it’s time to make a change, find a new doctor you prefer before completely cutting ties with your old doctor’s office.

Find a new doctor.
Doctors typically have heavy patient caseloads, and not all of them accept new patients. Additionally, a new doctor you’re thinking of switching to might not necessarily accept your health insurance. Before leaving your current doctor, make some phone calls to confirm that you could be accepted as a patient elsewhere. Once you have a few possibilities, do some background research. Find out if the doctor has ever been the subject of a medical malpractice lawsuit. If you have special medical concerns, such as a chronic disease, consider looking for a doctor who emphasizes that area of medicine. Seek out referrals and recommendations from family, friends, and medical care professionals you are being treated by.

Schedule one last appointment.
If you’re in good overall health, you might not necessarily need to see your old doctor one last time. But if you’ve been on long-term medications or have conditions that require monitoring, you should schedule one last check-up with your old doctor to get a status update on your health. There’s no need to discuss your plan to change doctors.

Get copies of your medical records.
At your last appointment, request a physical copy of your medical record and once you set up an appointment with your new doctor, have your records digitally transmitted to your new doctor’s office. Patients have the legal right to access their own medical records.

Schedule a wellness exam with your new doctor.
It’s best to see your new doctor for a quick check-up for the first time, rather than waiting for a problem to develop. Make sure your new doctor has received your medical records. Discuss ongoing medical management of your conditions, if applicable. Before you leave, check with the office staff about their policies, such as scheduling and cancellations.

Pegalis & Erickson, LLC is committed to providing effective legal advocacy services for patients who have been affected by medical negligence in New York. We offer the resources of a large firm, with the personalized service and courteous attention of a boutique firm. Call (516) 684-2900 to request a free medical malpractice case review.

Occasional fussiness with feeding is usually nothing to be concerned about. But if your baby consistently has problems feeding or hasn’t been gaining enough weight, it’s time to see a doctor. There are many possible causes of poor feeding, including previously undiagnosed birth injuries. After a diagnosis of a birth injury, consider speaking with a lawyer to determine whether the cause might have been medical malpractice.

Causes of Infant Feeding Problems
Quite a few medical issues can lead to feeding and swallowing problems, including neurological disorders caused by medical negligence. Cerebral palsy is one example. Oral motor dysfunction is common in children with cerebral palsy. This means the infant has trouble sucking. It occurs with either breastfeeding or bottle-feeding. Another possible cause of feeding problems is a respiratory disorder, which might be the result of premature birth. This is because pre-term babies might not be born with fully developed lungs. A third possible cause of feeding problems is neonatal hypoglycemia, or low blood glucose. Doctors should recognize the risk factors of hypoglycemia, and test the newborn’s glucose when appropriate.

Signs of Infant Feeding Problems
Babies are weighed at each check-up to ensure they are gaining weight properly. Failure to thrive can indicate feeding and swallowing problems. Aside from the baby’s weight, feeding problems may be indicated by the following signs:

• Very long feeding times
• Gagging or coughing during feeding
• Fussiness while feeding
• Back arching while feeding
• Excessive drooling
• Poor coordination of breathing while feeding
• Recurrent respiratory infections, including pneumonia
• Spitting up or vomiting frequently

As the child grows older and begins transitioning to solid foods, he or she may refuse foods with certain textures.

Treatments for Infant Feeding Problems
Hospitalization and tube feeding may be necessary if the problem is severe. Otherwise, specialists may recommend positioning changes, sucking improvement techniques, and oral motor exercises to build strength and sometimes swallow therapy.

At Pegalis & Erickson, LLC—a medical malpractice law firm in New York—we’re committed to protecting the rights of the youngest of patients and their families. Birth injuries are distressing, but you don’t have to face this challenge alone. Call our medical malpractice attorneys at (516) 684-2900.

This September, you might notice blue ribbons around your town. These signify National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, which is the second-most common cancer in American men, after skin cancer. Since prostate cancer often doesn’t cause symptoms until the disease is already advanced, it’s necessary for doctors to recommend screening tests as appropriate. Not all doctors stay on top of recommendations for screenings, which, in some cases, may form the basis for a medical malpractice lawsuit. However, you can protect your health by being proactive and asking your doctor about getting screened.

There are two main screening tests. The first is the prostate specific antigen (PSA) test, which is a simple blood test. The second is a digital rectal exam (DRE), which involves feeling the prostate gland to check for abnormalities and assess its size. Confirming a diagnosis of prostate cancer requires more tests, including imaging scans and a biopsy.

Pegalis & Erickson, LLC welcome requests for case reviews regarding medical malpractice on Long Island, New York. Call (516) 684-2900 if you think you or a loved one may have suffered ill effects from a delayed diagnosis of prostate cancer.

Any sort of surgery requires thorough preparation. Undergoing anesthesia has risks as well as complications. While sometimes the anesthesiolgist may meet the patient a few days before surgery, it is not the norm. Today it is common that the first time a patient meets the anesthesiologist is just before the operating room.

In either case, it’s essential not to skip over important health information. Make sure that your medical team knows about any allergies and your reactions to medications in the past. During pre-operative testing, make sure all chronic diseases are listed, as well as all medications being used. If there are any issues when planning to have elective surgery, it’s possible to reschedule the surgery while awaiting additional tests to ensure safety. If the surgery is for a child, be sure to request a pediatric anesthesiologist!

Your anesthesiologist needs your full medical history. Specifically, he or she needs to know if you’ve ever had general anesthesia before, and if so, whether you had a reaction to it. Disclose any recent changes to your health, recent surgeries, recent hospital admissions, medical conditions, and medications.

Pegalis & Erickson, LLC are leading patient advocates who handle surgical malpractice cases on Long Island, New York. Call our malpractice law firm at (516) 684-2900.

Cerebral palsy can occur as the result of birth trauma, leaving children and their parents facing the possibility of a lifetime of complications. Physical therapy is often one of the first treatments recommended for cerebral palsy.. Having your child tested through early intervention programs available in your area, can greatly help your child achieve better physical growth and development.

Physical therapy can help children with cerebral palsy improve their mobility as well as coordination, balance, flexibility, posture, and endurance. The amount of physical therapy that is recommended depends on the severity of symptoms and what other treatments are being used. Other therapies often recommended include occupational therapy, which focuses on helping a child achieve the attributes of daily living such as dressing and eating. Sometimes speech therapy may be necessary to help your child with speaking.

If your child is living with cerebral palsy or another birth injury in New York, contact Pegalis & Erickson to discuss your situation with an experienced birth injury attorney. Contact our office today at (516) 684-2900 Or email us here.

Prior to putting your health and your life in the hands of a doctor, you as a proactive patient should take advantage of available information concerning a physician’s background

In New York, the Office of Professional Medical Conduct—OPMC—investigates complaints about healthcare professionals. You can use the OPMC website to research your providers and find out if they have any record of complaints in their past. This information can help you make an informed decision about your healthcare. When considering a doctor for your care, you can also check doctors’ backgrounds on the New York State Physician Profile Website.

The medical malpractice lawyers in New York at Pegalis & Erickson, LLC can assist you if you suspect medical negligence has impacted your healthcare. To discuss the details of your case, please call (516) 684-2900. We advocate for people of all ages who have been victims of avoidable negligence that caused them life-altering harm or death.