New York Malpractice & Injury Lawyer Blog

Your heart is pounding, your skin is clammy and you can’t take a deep breath. You head to the emergency room, certain that something is wrong. You are seen by a medical professional who diagnoses you as having had experienced a panic attack or as suffering with anxiety. But could they be wrong?

Many people who suffer with anxiety have similar symptoms to those who are suffering with heart disease. In some cases, the two issues may be related, and medical professionals may not stop to consider a heart condition in the face of what is clearly anxiety. Similarly, doctors may completely misdiagnose a person as having anxiety when the real issue lies within the heart.

Heart disease and anxiety often have similar symptoms. This is what makes proper diagnosis difficult. Symptoms of both conditions include chest discomfort, fatigue, shortness of breath and palpitations. When someone experiencing these symptoms seeks medical care and does not have a familial history of heart problems, the diagnosis may be anxiety. And it may be incorrect.

There are thousands of babies born across the country every day. In most cases, babies are born healthy and without incident. In some unfortunate cases, babies are born with birth injuries that can have lifelong consequences for the child and their families. Not all of these injuries result in lawsuits. Here’s how to know when a birth injury leads to legal action.

Standard of Care

Not all birth injuries are related to negligence on the part of medical professionals. To prove medical malpractice, it is necessary to establish a medical standard of care. In other words, the parents would have to show that a similarly-skilled medical provider would have performed the same under similar circumstances. To even file a lawsuit, that standard of care must have been breached.

Many patients believe that antibiotics are the cure for all. This misconception may be due, in part, to the rate at which they are frequently prescribed. In a recent study, researchers found that antibiotics were prescribed in millions of cases for which they were not indicated. Whether or not this could be considered a form of medical malpractice is up to the courts to decide. Is a doctor considered negligent if they hand out a prescription for amoxicillin when it isn’t indicated even though amoxicillin is not considered dangerous? Maybe.

While antibiotics are not inherently dangerous, they are being prescribed at such a rate that diseases are becoming resistant to them. This resistance is now being considered one of the biggest health threats of our time. Here’s what you need to know to protect yourself.

They Don’t Fight It All

There has been much in the news about antibiotic resistance. Many of the articles that have been written are full of medical-speak, making it hard to understand exactly what is going on. What we do know is this: Antibiotics have been prescribed at such a high rate that diseases are developing resistance to them. In other words, it is taking stronger antibiotics or different drugs altogether to fight diseases that were once somewhat easily treated. Here’s what else we know.

The Why

The overuse and misuse of antibiotic medication has promoted the development of bacteria that are resistant to it. When you take an antibiotic, the bacteria that is sensitive to it is killed while resistant bacteria grow. This is why the repeated use of antibiotics is a problem.

You have been visiting the same doctor for years and have recently found out they were sued. Should you be worried? The answer to that question is not as clear-cut as you may think. In some cases, yes, you have a right to be concerned. In other cases, no. Here is how to know when it may be time to look for another doctor.

A Pattern Of Payouts

One malpractice case does not indicate that your physician is a bad one. It doesn’t necessarily mean that the doctor was guilty of any negligence. If an insurance company paid out, it may have been simply because it was cheaper than going to trial. If your doctor was sued, they could have been sued as part of a group of people. One lawsuit does not mean you need to head for the hills.