Medical malpractice can lead to serious physical injuries, emotional trauma, and long-term consequences. If you’ve been harmed due to a provider’s negligence, the experienced team at Passalacqua & Associates, LLC is here to help. Contact us today at our office in Syracuse, New York, call us at (315) 500-6425 for a free, no-obligation consultation.

When you seek medical care, you place your trust in the hands of healthcare professionals. Unfortunately, that trust can be shattered when a doctor or medical provider makes a careless mistake. If you’ve been injured, reach out to our Syracuse medical malpractice lawyers for help. 

Why Should I Choose Passalacqua & Associates, LLC for Help With My Medical Malpractice Case in Syracuse, NY?

Medical malpractice cases are often complex, requiring a deep understanding of both the legal system and the medical field. Because these claims can impact a healthcare provider’s professional record, many doctors and hospitals are unwilling to settle—making trial a likely path to securing the justice and compensation you deserve.

At Passalacqua & Associates, LLC, we are seasoned trial attorneys with more than 50 years of combined experience. We’ve recovered millions of dollars on behalf of injury victims across New York. Our team handles all communications with healthcare providers, insurance companies, and any other involved parties so you can focus on healing. We manage the full administrative burden of your case and aggressively pursue the compensation you’re entitled to—whether that means negotiating a settlement or fighting for you in court.

Contact us today to schedule a free consultation with an experienced Syracuse personal injury lawyer.

What Is Medical Malpractice?

Medical malpractice occurs when a healthcare provider deviates from the standard of care and injures a patient as a result. 

To win a medical malpractice claim, you must be able to show the following legal elements:

• You were under a physician’s care.
• The physician failed to act as a doctor in the same specialty would have acted while advising you, diagnosing you, or treating you.
• The physician’s deviation from the standard of care caused you to be injured, become ill, or for a pre-existing condition or injury to worsen.

Understanding these elements is essential to building a successful medical malpractice case—and having an experienced attorney can make all the difference in proving them.

How Common Is Medical Malpractice?

A groundbreaking study by Johns Hopkins University researchers concluded that medical errors are the third leading cause of death in America. Researchers reviewed data over an eight-year period and concluded that about 250,000 people die from medical mistakes every year. Millions more are injured each year. 

Common Causes of Medical Malpractice

Medical malpractice can take many forms, including the following:

• Diagnostic errors: A failure to diagnose occurs when a doctor fails to diagnose a patient with the medical condition they have, while a misdiagnosis occurs when a doctor diagnoses a patient with another medical condition they don’t have. Both of these types of mistakes can lead to patient injuries. 
• Surgical mistakes: Surgical mistakes can take many forms, including the occurrence of so-called never events, such as operating on the wrong patient, wrong body part, or wrong site. Surgeons could also clip an artery during surgery. 
• Failure to monitor: When patients are under surgery, they may need to be carefully monitored. Any sudden change in their vital signs or the appearance of new symptoms may require immediate medical intervention. When healthcare professionals do not carefully monitor patients, patients under their care may suffer injuries. 
• Improper treatment: Improper medical treatment occurs when a medical professional does not provide treatment correctly, such as not putting a cast on properly. 
• Anesthesia errors: Anesthesia allows patients not to feel pain, but this medication must be carefully administered. Too much anesthesia could cause the patient to slip into a coma. Too little could cause the patient to wake up during surgery. 
• Birth injuries: Pregnancy and labor can be common times when healthcare providers may make a mistake. They may fail to monitor the pregnancy or labor, failing to spot signs of fetal distress. The obstetrician may mishandle the baby’s head during birth or misuse forceps or vacuum extraction. 
• Medication mistakes: Nurses, doctors, pharmacists, and others can make medication errors that harm patients. They may prescribe the wrong medication, dosage, or method of administration. They could give them medication they are allergic to or that contraindicates with other medication. 
• Failure to inform: Patients have the right to be informed of the different types of proposed medical treatments, the risks associated with each medical procedure, the potential outcomes, and the benefits, as well as the same for any alternative treatment options. If you would not have undergone the medical procedure had you been aware of the risks, you may be able to take legal action.

These common forms of medical malpractice can have devastating consequences, which is why it’s critical to understand your rights and seek legal guidance if you suspect you’ve been harmed by a healthcare provider’s negligence.

Adverse Effects of Medical Malpractice 

Medical malpractice can have various negative effects that range from minor to severe. 

Some of the potential negative effects could include:

• The need for additional medical procedures: When your doctor has failed to diagnose you or made a mistake during surgery, you may need additional surgeries or other medical treatment to correct the mistakes.
• Permanent disability: Some mistakes, such as causing paralysis or nerve damage, can cause permanent disabilities that reduce your quality of life, negatively impact your relationships with loved ones, and impede your ability to work.
• Complications: Medical mistakes can lead to medical complications, such as internal bleeding or issues that continue well after the corrective action.
• Dysfunction: Some medical errors can lead to bowel, bladder, and/or sexual dysfunction.
• Scarring and disfigurement: Medical malpractice can sometimes lead to scarring and disfigurement. 
• Mistrust of doctors: When a doctor violates your trust, you may have difficulty trusting doctors in the future, which could cause other medical mistakes.
• Death: In severe cases, medical malpractice can cause death.

Whether temporary or life-altering, the consequences of medical malpractice can deeply impact every aspect of a patient’s life—making it essential to hold negligent providers accountable and pursue the compensation you deserve.

What Damages Can I Recover in a Medical Malpractice Case?

Medical malpractice victims can seek compensation for the losses they incur as a result of their doctor’s mistakes, which may include payment for the following:

• Medical expenses: Emergency medical treatment, follow-up treatment, specialist visits, medical devices, rehabilitation costs, prescription medications, and other medical expenses can add up after a doctor’s mistake. You can seek compensation for these direct losses. You can also seek compensation for your anticipated future medical expenses. 
• Lost wages: You can seek compensation for missed work, 
• Reduced earning capacity: You can also pursue compensation for the reduced earning capacity due to long-term disability. 
• Pain and suffering: You can pursue compensation for the non-economic losses you experienced due to the injuries, including for your physical pain and discomfort.
• Emotional distress: You can also pursue compensation for the more personal ways your life has been affected because of the medical mistake, including for your mental suffering and emotional distress. 
• Loss of enjoyment of life: Medical malpractice can derail your life, impede your ability to work, and prevent you from enjoying your favorite pastimes. You can pursue compensation for these damages for your loss of enjoyment of life.  
• Loss of companionship: Loss of companionship damages are available when the medical mistake affects intimate relationships or your ability to have a relationship with a child or parent.

Recovering compensation in a medical malpractice case can help you regain stability and hold negligent providers accountable for the physical, emotional, and financial toll their actions have taken on your life.

What Is My Medical Malpractice Case Worth? 

Every medical malpractice case is unique, so there’s no such thing as an average settlement. 

The potential value of your case could be affected by factors such as:

• The type and severity of your injury
• Who is legally responsible for your injuries, such as a hospital, medical clinic, or individual provider
• The responsible party’s medical malpractice insurance 
• Whether the injury caused any permanent disability 
• The impact the injuries have on your ability to work 
• The type and duration of medical treatment you required
• How the injury affected your daily life and relationships with loved ones

After carefully evaluating your case, we can give you a better idea about the potential value of your case.

What Is the Deadline to File a Medical Malpractice Lawsuit in New York?

In New York, the statute of limitations is two years and six months for most medical malpractice cases. However, the clock might not start to tick until you discovered the mistake in certain cases. An experienced attorney can review your situation and explain the deadline that applies.

Call Our Syracuse Medical Malpractice Attorneys Today for a Free Consultation 

If you were injured due to the careless actions of a healthcare provider, you should not have to pay for the consequences. The legal team at Passalacqua & Associates, LLC is ready to protect your rights and take legal action against the negligent healthcare professional. Contact our Syracuse medical malpractice attorneys today to discuss your case during a free, no-obligation case review.