Schenectady Hospital Malpractice Lawyers

★★★★★

We absolutely can’t thank you enough.

Powers & Santola was so knowledgeable and caring. I was so very fortunate to find such a great law firm.

- John

Hospital Malpractice Lawyers Serving Injured Patients in Schenectady, New York

In the event of a medical emergency, you entrust your health and life to hospitals and the medical staff they employ. No one goes to the hospital expecting to leave worse than when they entered. Nonetheless, thousands of patients in New York suffer injuries due to hospital errors and hospital-acquired infections. These injuries and illnesses can cause permanent disabilities and sometimes even death.

Unfortunately, medical mistakes are not isolated events. A groundbreaking Johns Hopkins study found that medical malpractice is the third-leading cause of death in the United States. The dedicated attorneys at Powers & Santola, LLP don’t want you to suffer in silence. If the hospital or its employees are responsible for your injuries, we want to help hold them accountable and prevent future incidents of negligence. Contact us today for a free initial consultation.

How Can a Schenectady Hospital Malpractice Lawyer Help?

After a negligent healthcare provider has harmed you, it’s essential that you understand your legal rights and options for recovering financial compensation to pay for your additional medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Our legal team can guide you through the process of filing a medical malpractice claim and protect you from the hospital’s insurance company, which is fixated on reducing your recovery to protect the hospital’s profit margins.

When you hire Powers & Santola, LLP to handle your medical malpractice case, we can:

Review your situation during a confidential consultation to determine if you have a valid claim
Investigate your case, identify the negligent medical treatment you received, and determine who is responsible for your injuries and losses
Review your medical records to establish your hospital malpractice claim
Compile evidence of the value of your damages
Communicate with insurance companies, the hospital, medical providers, and other parties on your behalf
Manage the administrative workload of your case, including filing your insurance claims
Advise you of the time limit that applies to your case
Negotiate for maximum compensation
Ensure you take prompt legal action to preserve your legal rights

Get started with your malpractice claim by contacting our award-winning law firm.

Why Should I Hire Powers & Santola, LLP for My Hospital Malpractice Case?

If a hospital or healthcare provider has injured you, you have the right to choose a medical malpractice lawyer to represent you. Some of the reasons we believe you should consider our medical malpractice and personal injury law firm are:

We are a pillar of the community – Our firm has been in place since 1987. Ever since, we have relentlessly pursued justice on behalf of personal injury and medical malpractice victims.
We have extensive experience – Our law firm has successfully handled thousands of medical malpractice claims, personal injury claims, and wrongful death claims.
We have a strong reputation in the legal community – Our law firm and attorneys have been recognized as one of the “Best Law Firms” in the country for personal injury and medical malpractice law, “Best Lawyers in America,” and “Super Lawyers.” These distinctions are based on reviews and recommendations from our clients and attorneys outside our firm.
We are trial-ready – Our attorneys prepare every case as though it is going to trial. This helps us become familiar with the details and gives us leverage at the negotiating table. Our adversaries know that when we represent a client, they have a valid claim and evidence to substantiate it.
We have a track record of success – Our lawyers have recovered millions of dollars for our clients. We do not settle cases for less than the full value of a case. We also handle appeals, so you can rest assured that we can see the case to the very end.
We genuinely care about our clients – At Powers & Santola, LLP, we look at our clients as family. We zealously represent their interests – as though we were representing a member of our own family.

We encourage you to contact us today for a free case review.

Hospital Medical Malpractice Vs. Negligence

Legal claims regarding injuries that occur in hospitals may take different forms. Some cases involve the negligence of the hospital, such as injuries or illnesses due to unsanitary practices, failure to have protocols in place to administer the correct medication or monitor patients, or the negligent hiring of unqualified medical professionals.

Other cases involve a medical provider who has failed to provide proper medical treatment or neglect patient care. Medical malpractice occurs when a healthcare provider provides treatment to a patient that falls below the accepted standard of care, resulting in injury to the patient. These medical mistakes can cause serious injuries, worsened health outcomes, and death.

Powers & Santola, LLP works on all types of cases involving hospitals. We have successfully recovered millions of dollars in compensation in verdicts and settlements against Upstate New York hospitals and other medical facilities.

Hospital-Acquired Infections in New York Hospitals

Hospital-acquired infections are a huge problem in New York hospitals. Federal officials have taken notice of these dangerous circumstances and have withheld portions of their Medicare payments until the situation can be remedied. The hospitals penalized equal to about 25% of hospitals throughout the nation. Eight of these hospitals are located in New York.

Federal officials take these matters seriously because these infections (otherwise known as nosocomial infections) are common and risky. Some of these infections can result in severe and fatal consequences.

Hospital-acquired infections may include the following:

Methicillin Staphylococcus Aureus – MRSA is a type of staph infection resistant to common antibiotics. This characteristic makes it difficult to stop as it can rapidly multiply, leading to infections in other parts of the body.
Group A strep infection – This is a bacterial infection that most often causes sore throats. More severe forms of the infection can cause pneumonia, rheumatic fever, and scarlet fever.
Group B strep infection – This form of strep is more common in newborns. It can lead to various types of birth injuries, including cerebral palsy, brain damage, meningitis, pneumonia, and even infant death.
Necrotizing fasciitis – This is a flesh-eating bacteria that can result in amputation or death.

If you or a loved one developed any of these infections, it could indicate medical negligence, and you could have a claim for compensation.

Other Common Types of Medical Malpractice Injuries

Unfortunately, hospital-acquired infections are not the only type of injuries that can result from negligent medical care. Other possible injuries caused by medical errors can include:

Amputations
Stroke
Undiagnosed cancer
Brain injuries
Coma
Heart attack
Sepsis and septic shock
Dangerous blood clots
Spinal cord injuries, including paralysis

Sadly, hospital malpractice can lead to death in tragic situations.

Factors that Contribute to Hospital Malpractice

Various factors can contribute to medical malpractice in hospital settings, including:

Lack of admission – The hospital may fail to admit a patient for observation or to diagnose a condition, leading to injury or death.
Missing information – Hospitals may fail to obtain necessary information from the patient, such as information about their family or medical history, medication allergies, or other useful information.
Miscommunication – Healthcare providers may get misinformation about a patient from another one of their providers, whether within the same hospital entity or another medical provider’s office. They could also mix up patient records or mislabel information.
Ignoring symptoms – Medical providers may dismiss a patient’s concerns or ignore symptoms because they are busy with too many patients or careless with the medical treatment they provide.
Diagnostic errors – Doctors, technicians, radiologists, and other medical professionals can make critical mistakes regarding diagnosing a patient. They may perform tests incorrectly, misinterpret lab results, or fail to draw attention to a health problem indicated on the test.
Delayed reactions – Physicians, nurses, and other medical providers may fail to recognize an emergency, which can endanger the lives and health of their patients.
Lack of follow-up – Some medical providers may order the necessary diagnostic tests but fail to inform patients of the results. Patients may assume everything is fine if they do not hear any news, which could cause complications or a delayed diagnosis.
Surgical errors – Despite their years of training and education, surgeons may make mistakes while operating on a patient, including nicking an artery or leaving a surgical instrument in a patient’s cavity.
Anesthesia errors – Anesthesiologists may give a patient too much, too little, or the wrong form of anesthesia. These mistakes can lead to cardiac arrest, stroke, death, or waking up prematurely during a disturbing medical procedure.
Medication errors – Healthcare providers may give the patient the wrong medication or dosage. They could also fail to reconcile their medications with others they are already taking to be alerted to possible dangerous interactions.
Doctor fatigue – Many healthcare providers work long shifts, which can lead to exhaustion and impaired judgment.
Impairment – Unfortunately, many medical providers turn to drugs or alcohol to cope with their demanding jobs, putting patients in jeopardy when the providers’ judgment and motor skills are impaired.
Negligent post-operative care – Doctors may fail to provide patients with sufficient information about how to care for themselves after a medical procedure, fail to monitor the patient, or fail to follow up with the patient after the procedure.
Early discharge – Hospitals may discharge a patient too early who really needs to be monitored. The patient could then suffer complications while away from a medical setting.

If these factors contributed to your injuries, an experienced medical malpractice lawyer from our firm can pursue fair compensation on your behalf.

What Damages Can I Recover in a Medical Malpractice Claim?

Injuries that occur in hospitals can extend patients’ stay and make recoveries significantly more difficult. Some patients suffer permanent disabilities that prevent them from earning a living and require ongoing medical treatment. An experienced attorney can review your medical malpractice claim to determine if you are eligible for damages such as:

Current, past, and future medical expenses
Lost wages and employment benefits
Reduced earning capacity
Replacement services
Out-of-pocket expenses
Home or vehicle accommodations
Pain and suffering
Mental anguish
Scarring and disfigurement
Loss of consortium
Loss of enjoyment of life

After conducting a thorough investigation, our legal team can determine the value of your hospital malpractice case.

What Is My Hospital Malpractice Lawsuit Worth?

The Schenectady medical malpractice lawyers at Powers & Santola, LLP can determine the value of your case by answering critical questions such as:

What type of injuries did you suffer?
Are your injuries permanent?
How do your injuries affect your ability to work?
How do your injuries affect other aspects of your life, including your relationship with loved ones?
What type of medical treatment did you need because of the medical error?
What kinds of medical treatment does your current medical team reasonably anticipate you will need in the future?
Who is responsible for your injuries?
Is more than one party responsible for your injuries?
What is the amount of medical malpractice insurance coverage available for your claim?

Learn more about the potential compensation you can receive when you call our law firm for a free case review.

What Is the Time Limit for Filing a Medical Malpractice Lawsuit?

New York law gives medical malpractice victims 30 months from the date of the negligent medical act or omission to file a personal injury lawsuit, per the statute of limitations. If the hospital’s negligence resulted in a delayed or missed cancer diagnosis, patients have 30 months from the date they discovered the healthcare provider’s mistake.

If you miss this deadline, the court can dismiss any case you later file without having to consider its merits. It can say that you did not timely file your action, and you can lose your right to recover compensation through the courts. Safeguard your rights by contacting Powers & Santola, LLP today.

Contact Our Schenectady Hospital Malpractice Lawyers for a Free Case Evaluation

If a hospital’s negligence harmed you, an experienced lawyer from Powers & Santola, LLP can help. We can discuss your legal rights and options during a free consultation. Call us today to protect your rights and begin the road to recovery.

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When someone injures you, your life gets turned upside down. Suddenly, you may face a ton of medical bills. You may be unable to work or help out around the home. Others may need to care for you around the clock. Nothing is the same.

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