After you have suffered a serious injury as a result of a healthcare provider’s negligence, or you have lost a loved one due to a fatal medical mistake, you should be thinking about finding the best medical malpractice lawyer for your case. When you begin seeking help from a medical negligence lawyer in New York, it is essential to have a plan and to know what you should look for in choosing an advocate to hire for your case. Our experienced Albany medical malpractice attorneys have tips you should consider when you are selecting a medical malpractice lawyer to represent you.
Seek a Medical Malpractice Attorney with Experience Handling Medical Negligence Claims
First, whenever you are seeking legal counsel for a medical malpractice lawsuit, it is critical to seek out an attorney who has extensive experience handling medical malpractice cases in New York (or in the state where you will be filing a claim). Since medical malpractice claims, also known as medical negligence cases, are one type of personal injury lawsuit, you might find general personal injury lawyers who say they can handle medical malpractice lawsuits but do not have a record of doing so. You will want to look for an attorney with specific experience negotiating settlements in medical negligence cases and taking claims to court. You should feel comfortable asking any prospective attorney for client testimonials or information about successful medical malpractice cases they have handled.
In addition, it is essential to have a lawyer with experience handling claims under New York law. Since medical malpractice cases are brought under state laws and procedures for medical malpractice lawsuits can vary significantly from state to state, you will want to be sure that you have an attorney on your side with experience managing cases under New York law specifically.
Find a Medical Negligence Lawyer Who Has Experienced Handling Cases Specifically Like to Your Own or with a Similar Fact Pattern
It is also important to look for a medical malpractice lawyer who has experience handling claims that are similar to your own. There are many different types of medical malpractice claims, including cases arising out of medication mistakes, surgical errors, birth injuries, diagnostic errors, anesthesia mistakes, and many other kinds of errors. You should seek out an attorney who has experience handling cases that arise from issues similar to your own if you are able to do so. The attorney will already have experience seeking expert witnesses to support the case and understanding the ways in which the particular type of medical negligence led to compensable injuries.
Work with a Lawyer Who Has Access to Reliable Medical Experts
You will also want to be sure you have a medical malpractice lawyer who has access to reliable medical experts and experience working with experts who can support your case. Medical experts are often critical to medical malpractice claims since they can provide testimony to support an essential element of any medical malpractice lawsuit: that the healthcare provider being sued did not act as a reasonable healthcare provider in a same or similar field, andin the same geographic area, would have. In order to win your medical malpractice case, you will want to work with an attorney who has relationships with reliable medical experts who can help to prove this essential element of your case.
Seek an Attorney Who Recognizes Legal Time Limits
Under New York law, most injured patients have two and a half years from the date of the medical negligence action or omission giving rise to the claim to file a medical malpractice lawsuit. Depending upon the specific details of your injury, that statute of limitations may be extended. You should always work with an attorney who recognizes, at the outset, the importance of filing your case in a timely manner and paying close attention to the statute of limitations.
Find an Attorney Who Will Provide Personalized and Tailored Representation in Your Case
It is so critical to have a medical negligence lawyer on your side who will provide personalized and tailored representation in your case, and who will listen to your needs. If your primary goal is to obtain financial compensation as quickly as possible, you should have a lawyer who will take all necessary steps to negotiate a reasonable settlement offer on your behalf. If your overarching goal is to hold the healthcare provider accountable and receive the largest possible payout or damages award possible, you should make absolutely certain that your attorney is comfortable with and prepared for taking your case to court and advocating for your right to compensation to a judge or jury.
In sum, you want to have a lawyer who recognizes your particular needs and will tailor a strategy for seeking compensation to meet those needs as closely as possible.
Contact an Albany Medical Malpractice Attorney
Do you have questions about filing a medical malpractice claim? Our Albany medical negligence attorneys can assist you. Contact Powers & Santola, LLP today.
