1. You like your doctor
So, what's wrong with that? Nothing. Most of us like our doctors. That's why we trust them and keep going back to them for treatment. But should the fact that you like your physician prevent you from seeking payment when he or she committed wrongdoing that caused you corporal and emotional injury?
The law in New York permits anyone who has been injured by an additional one to bring a lawsuit for compensation. This law originated from common law and goes back hundreds of years. In fact in some religions there is evidence that this type of law goes back thousands of years. It makes good common sense. If an additional one someone causes you harm, you are entitled to gain money to pay for your curative expenses, your lost earnings, your hereafter lost earnings, the damage to your property, and of course, payment for the pain and suffering you endured.
So, should the fact that you like your physician prevent you from bringing a lawsuit? It might make you feel uncomfortable, but I certify that when you start to think about your disabling injuries and how your physician caused them, the anger and hostility you feel will regularly outweigh your fondness for your doctor.
2. What good will the money do for you?
This is a common rhetorical query that defense attorneys often ask plaintiff's lawyers. "The money won't bring your loved one back," "The money won't make you whole again," "The money you're request for isn't going to convert anything..."
However, money is the only thing that our justice law allows us to recover when an injured victim sues their wrongdoer. While those comments above may all be true, we are prohibited from taking justice into our own hands. Therefore, what else can we gain for the injured victim? Money is the only thing that allows us to pay the curative bills that were generated as a succeed of the wrongdoing. Money is going to make the victim more financially secure. Money will help the injured victim with ongoing curative care and rehabilitation. The injured victim will not be a burden on a City or governmental handout. Money will help his children go to school or camp. Money may help with modifications needed in his home- such as a wheelchair ramp or modified kitchen appliances.
Money can never make us whole, or replace the agony and suffering that was caused by a physician or a hospital. But the money is supposed to make those wrongdoers think twice about doing that same performance again, and hopefully prevent the next someone from being a malpractice victim.
3. Your doctor's reputation will be tarnished
Contrary to favorite opinion, (or at least from the doctor's assurance company) this is not an precise statement. Most people living in a civilized community identify the right to sue. The fact that a physician has been or is sued is not that significant. If you ask a physician if they've been sued, they will often be quick to interpret how the case had no merit. Importantly, the physician will still continue to custom rehabilitation and there will regularly be no disciplinary performance taken as a succeed of a civil curative malpractice lawsuit. The trust that a doctor's reputation will suffer a defect if sued, is naturally not correct.
4. Your physician will be banished from his community
Once again, this statement is not true. The physician will continue to custom rehabilitation (even if they lose the malpractice suit against them, and are required to pay the injured victim money). The physician will not lose their license, and in all probability, the award will not be reported in the local papers, and most of his patients won't even know of the lawsuit or the award.
5. Your physician will shut his curative practice
No he won't. He might be outraged that he has to defend a lawsuit and take time away from his custom for a few days, but there is no imagine for him to shut his curative practice.
In very greatest cases where the physician is a threat to the health and well-being of his patients, the New York State branch of health can and will shut down the doctor's custom and revoke his license to practice.
But, in the majority of cases, this does not happen, and the physician continues on with his custom and his life.
6. Your physician may lose his license
Not true. A civil lawsuit in New York has no succeed on whether a physician does or does not lose his license to custom medicine. In order for a New York physician to lose his license, the New York State branch of health investigates a complaint of wrongdoing. After broad investigation and after a hearing where the physician gets to interpret what happened and why, the branch of health reaches their own conclusions about whether rehabilitation was rendered in accordance with good curative care or whether there were deficiencies.
The options to punish or cure the deficiencies are many, and only as the most extreme- and last resort choice would the health branch revoke a physician's license. But naturally by bringing a lawsuit against a physician for monetary payment does not sway his license to custom medicine.
7. Your physician may alter your records
Believe it or not, this has been known to occur in rare instances. When it does, the attorney representing you may be able to prove it. If your lawyer is able to prove that your physician altered your records, the physician could suffer important penalties and could lose his license to custom medicine. The fact that he may or may not alter your records should not prevent you from investigating and/or pursuing an performance on your behalf. There are regularly other ways to resolve what rehabilitation was rendered, and often such performance by a physician can help your case by showing the extent to which the physician tried to cover up the wrongdoing.
8. Your physician may apologize and tell you it was all a mistake
There are recent curative and assurance studies that have confirmed that when doctors and hospital staff are simple and honest about what happened, patients and their families tend to understand that 'not everyone is perfect'. In fact, some hospitals encourage the doctors to fess-up and tell the patients they screwed up, and apologize, and arrange to have the hospital immediately reconcile financially with the patient and his family. The studies indicate this works.
Does that mean that you shouldn't sue because the physician apologized? Not necessarily. An apology may not solve your problems. You need to resolve whether such an apology is sufficient. Most people will tell you it's not.
9. Your friends and house may think you're a gold-digger
If you live your life concerned about what your friends and house think, then maybe you shouldn't sue-under any circumstance. Your friends have not experienced what you have gone through. Nor do they live with the constant pain and disability that you have. They may not truly understand what you will live with for the rest of your life.
Some folks naturally don't want their friends and house to know they're involved in a lawsuit. The reasons are endless. "I don't want anyone knowing my business." "I don't want my neighbors knowing how much of an award I received." "I don't want my house members request me for money- this is for my future- I can't work anymore, and I can't afford to give it away." "I don't want my relatives to argue with me about why I sued my doctor."
You must resolve for yourself whether these concerns outweigh your legal right to bring suit and recover money for your injuries.
10. Your injuries aren't that disabling
There are cases where the injuries are significant, but have cleared up after many months or years. The fact that you may no longer be permanently disabled is a factor to resolve how much your case is worth. If you are no longer disabled- we congratulate you and your success in overcoming your injuries. If you can do those activities that you used to do, we are extremely pleased with your recovery. You should know however, that such success means that the value of your case may be small to the time you were injured and disabled. Most people would agree with this result. You only can receive payment for the time you were injured and disabled.
Many injured folks may make a recovery, but still be unable to do all of those daily life activities they used to do. Where there is an ongoing qoute or disability, the value of your case is generally greater than where you have totally healed.
