Can I Sue the Hospital, Doctors or City After a Car Accident?

Doctors are only human, and they make mistakes—but sometimes their mistakes have very real repercussions for victims.

A Brooklyn woman recently sued the hospital and the doctors who treated her, as well as the city, after a misdiagnosed infection that left her with amputated hands and feet, as well asone legally blind eye. Although the parties involved denied any wrongdoing, they settled out of court for just under $18 million.

While that case wasn’t related to car accidents, New York’s laws are the same. If someone is at fault for causing or worsening your injuries, you may be entitled to compensation for your pain and suffering, lost wages and other expenses.

Suing the Hospital Where You Received Care

Hospitals are generally responsible for the people they hire to work in their facilities. In some cases, they hire people who aren’t as qualified or as talented as they should be. That’s especially true when hospitals are short-staffed and desperate for help, but it can be very dangerous if you’re a patient.

In some cases, healthcare facilities don’t take proper care of their medical professionals, forcing them to work long hours that impair their ability to make the right diagnoses and choose the ideal treatment options.

Suing Doctors for Malpractice and Other Wrongdoing

After a crash, emergency medical care depends on doctors, nurses and other medical professionals making the right decisions in an instant.

When they make the wrong decisions and another medical professional in the same position would’ve made the right one, you might be able to get justice through a lawsuit.

Taking the City to Court

When we mentioned the case above, the victim involved called 9-1-1 twice to ask for help. They didn’t take her to the hospital either time, and their inaction may have significantly worsened the situation.

Would they have been able to save her hands and feet if she’d been treated sooner? Would she still have gone blind in one eye?

While we can’t answer those questions without all of the facts, she was able to sue the city over the New York Fire Department’s inaction and walk away with a settlement.

The best way to determine whether you have a case is to consult with an experienced, talented personal injury lawyer who understands New York’s laws regarding hospitals, doctors and city officials. Someone else may have caused the pain and suffering you’re experiencing now, and the right attorney will fight hard on your behalf to get you justice.

Call us at 1-877-3D-JUSTICE for a free phone interview and case evaluation. We’ll let you know whether you may be able to make a claim against another party for compensation after your car accident.