How to Protect Yourself From New York Medical Malpractice
Choosing a doctor is one of the most important decisions you will ever have to make. After all, when you are entrusting someone with your medical care, you are entrusting them with your life. Unfortunately, not all physicians are as trustworthy as they should be. Do you know how to protect yourself from New York medical malpractice?
More Common Than You Think
The American Bar Association (ABA) defines medical malpractice as “negligence committed by a professional health care provider—a doctor, nurse, dentist, technician, hospital or hospital worker—whose performance of duties departs from a standard of practice of those with similar training and experience, resulting in harm to a patient or patients.” Medical malpractice tends to be underreported, making it difficult to get an exact estimate of how frequently it occurs. However, according to the Civil Justice Resource Group (CJRG), an estimated 25,000 to 120,000 medical malpractice-related deaths occur on an annual basis.
Preventing Medical Malpractice
You can prevent medical malpractice just by staying vigilant and involved in your own care. Notifying your physicians of any pre-existing conditions and allergies can easily keep medication mistakes from happening. You should also let them know if you are taking any other medications or supplements. Do your due diligence and research any new drugs you are prescribed and do not use them for any longer than necessary. Also, remember to follow up on any test results. Never assume that “no news is good news.” Be sure to verify everything for 
yourself. Sometimes, patients feel shy about being too involved in their care. They may automatically assume that their doctor knows best. While it is true that your physician has received specialized training to get to where they are, there is nothing wrong with ensuring the quality of your care. You may even want to consider “shopping around” for doctors and hospitals. You want to make sure that any physicians you are working with are experienced and have good track records. You can even check different hospitals’ infection rates, complication rates, and more on the Medicare website.
Ever heard of the saying “strength in numbers”? It also rings true for medical malpractice. Bring a trusted friend or family member with you for any surgeries or serious medical procedures—especially if you will be medicated or anesthetized. Your loved ones can act as your advocates in your most vulnerable moments. Make sure to sign any necessary paperwork to permit your advocate to know all the details of your treatment—and make any decisions you cannot.
Seeking Legal Help
Were you or a loved one recently injured in a medical malpractice case? We at Gattuso & Ciottoli, PLLC may be able to help. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation with one of our experienced Syracuse medical malpractice attorneys. We draw on over 50 years of combined legal experience to serve personal injury victims as best we can. We proudly serve the Central New York area, including Syracuse, Syracuse, Watertown, Binghamton, North Syracuse, Camillus, Liverpool, Cortland, and Auburn.