Primary Care Physicians Can Be Liable For New York Medical Malpractice When They Fail To Recognize Symptoms Of Deadly Or Dangerous Conditions, Or Fail To Properly Treat Injuries

When we think of New York medical malpractice, we think of surgical errors, OB/GYN errors, and anesthesia mistakes. Very rarely do people think of primary care physician medical malpractice, but the truth is there are a lot of primary care errors which are very important to be wary of. These medical errors can cause significant injury and pain and suffering.

There are some common types of primary care physician and family care medical malpractice. One of the most common is the failure to diagnose cancer. There can be many signs and comorbidities associated with diseases such as cancer which can make it tricky. But the standard of care is not for the primary care physician to guess or try to manage it. The standard of care is for the primary care physician to refer the patient for further tests and treatment with specialists. When this does not occur and the primary care physician lets questionable conditions or symptoms go, that can result in allowing a dangerous condition such as cancer to fester and cause serious problems.

The same is true for injuries such as broken bones or tendon injuries. Broken bones need to be set by a qualified orthopedist with the benefit of x-rays, not off the cuff by a primary care physician. Tendon injuries are even more important to get to an orthopedist because there is a tight window to repair it before scar tissue ruins the tendon. Sometimes this window is as short as 8 to 14 days after the injury. Thus, it is imperative a primary care physician recognize an issue and immediately refer it to a specialist.

Another life-threatening situation is where a patient comes with chest pains, has random chest pains, or has other symptoms which indicate the possibility of heart issues, heart attacks, or blockages. A failure by a primary care physician to get these symptoms such as ordering a EKG or referring to a cardiologist can also result in very serious, permanent, and deadly personal injuries.

But what do you think? I would love to hear from you! Leave a comment or I also welcome your phone call on my toll-free cell at 1-866-889-6882 or you can drop me an e-mail at jfisher@fishermalpracticelaw.com. You are always welcome to request my FREE book, The Seven Deadly Mistakes of Malpractice Victims, at the home page of my website at www.protectingpatientrights.com.