Recent findings have revealed a horrifying truth about the standard of healthcare in New York City hospitals. During the last five years, 468 people died in the city’s 11 public hospitals due to medical malpractice and negligence.
The cases of clinical misconduct ranged from delayed treatment to misdiagnosis and failure in providing adequate care to prejudiced care, and more. Manhattan-based Kings County Hospital witnessed 91 wrongful deaths, the highest among all NYC public hospitals. It was followed by Bellevue Hospital, with 54 wrongful deaths.
During the last four years, NYC has paid out over $34 million in financial compensation to 56 families in medical malpractice settlements. These numbers, however, only represent the cases where justice was served. Many families have fallen victim to similar tragedies and await compensation for damages since their wrongful death lawsuits, which often drag on for years on end, have yet to be decided upon.
The wrongful death law in New York grants civilians the right to file lawsuits via representatives in case a person from their estate passes away due to medical malpractice. However, the compensation for wrongful death does not include financial reimbursement for emotional distress, pain, and suffering.
The compensation for losing a loved one to medical malpractice covers the following areas:
Furthermore, New York law only accepts lawsuits of wrongful death caused by medical malpractice if they are filed within the stipulated deadline of two years after the death of the victim. You cannot file a lawsuit beyond the stipulated time. However, this rule does not apply to the closing of cases since they may take years to do so and only need to be filed within the deadline.
Medical malpractice in NYC hospitals causes the death of dozens of people every year, besides injuring or causing severe health complications for hundreds of others. Losing loved ones because of the mistakes and malpractices of the people meant to take care of patients entitles the victims' families to significant monetary compensation, which is why filing medical negligence lawsuits against those responsible are so important.
But winning a medical malpractice case can be challenging, time-consuming, and exhausting. The good news is that you can make the process less intimidating and increase your chance of success by using the service of an experienced wrongful death attorney or medical malpractice lawyer.
Wrongful death attorneys possess the necessary experience, knowledge, and contacts to win medical negligence lawsuits. A reliable medical malpractice attorney will study your case, assess the evidence, and determine beforehand if it is feasible to file a lawsuit. Once filed, they will pursue and take the case to its logical conclusion.
Contact a medical negligence lawyer to discuss your case and determine the viability of filing a medical malpractice lawsuit.
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