Syracuse Personal Injury Law Blog
While some skin conditions can be minor, others can have dire consequences for a person’s health. When a dermatologist fails to understand, diagnose, or treat a patient’s skin condition, the patient can suffer severe injuries and, in the most serious cases, death. If you or someone close to you is in this situation, you need the help and guidance of a trusted Syracuse dermatology malpractice attorney. At DeFrancisco & Falgiatano Personal Injury Lawyers, we can meticulously analyze your case and determine whether or not malpractice occurred.
A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that female dermatologists were sued less often than their male counterparts. The report scrutinized features of medical malpractice claims against dermatologists from 1991 to 2015 and found that female dermatologists were sued less because they communicated with their patients more than the male doctors. Specifically, the female physicians would more often elicit and validate patient input, as well as provide encouragement and reassurance. As a result, male physicians were 2.5 times more likely to be sued for malpractice than their female contemporaries. In fact, nearly 70 percent of claims were against male physicians. Most claims were results of medical errors in skin operations, followed by misdiagnoses.
Dermatology errors can happen in a variety of ways, including but not limited to failing to timely diagnose skin cancer, failing to properly treat skin cancer, failing to promptly follow up, failing to prescribe the appropriate skin medication, and failing to understand the patient’s complaints. These and other errors can form the basis of a medical malpractice claim when they cause an injury or death to a patient.
Under New York law, medical malpractice is negligence on the part of a doctor. Medical negligence occurs when a doctor causes an injury or death because he or she departed from the accepted standard of care. The standard of care refers to how a prudent doctor in the same situation would have acted under the same or similar circumstances. Put another way, when a medical professional causes an injury by deviating from the standard of care, that medical professional would likely be liable for malpractice.
Medical malpractice claims must be filed within a certain time frame, known as the statute of limitations. In New York, a medical malpractice claim must be commenced within two years and six months of the alleged malpractice, or if the medical professional’s error took place as part of an “ongoing course of treatment,” the clock does not begin to run until the course of treatment is completed.
If you have been injured by the negligence of a dermatologist, you may be entitled to compensation for your harm. At DeFrancisco & Falgiatano Personal Injury Lawyers, our hard-working and reputable Syracuse dermatology malpractice attorneys have represented many clients whose lives were adversely affected by negligent medical care. We understand that this is a stressful time, which is why we will try to make the process as seamless as possible for you. With years of experience, we understand how to navigate these complex claims. For more information, call us at 833-200-2000 or contact us online.
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