Woodhull Medical and Mental Health Center Medical Malpractice Lawyer
Woodhull Medical and Mental Health Center, sometimes shortened to simply Woodhull Hospital, is a facility in North Brooklyn. The hospital serves residents in Williamsburg, Greenpoint, Bed-Stuy, Bushwick, and Fort Greene. The hospital has 370 beds and treats more than 100,000 patients in its waiting room. The majority of patients receive quality care at Woodhull, but malpractice does occur at the facility. If you have been injured, you can file a claim for compensation. Our Woodhull Medical and Mental Health Center medical malpractice lawyer explains below the challenges these claims present, and how you can overcome them.
Notice of Claim
Woodhull Medical and Mental Health Center is a facility in the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC). There are 11 hospitals in this group and if you need to file a medical malpractice claim against any of them, you must file a Notice of Claim. This notifies the facility that you intend to take legal action against them and pursue damages. However, you only have 90 days to file the Notice of Claim. If you do not file a Notice of Claim within this time limit, you risk your right to claim any compensation at all.
The Statute of Limitations on Medical Malpractice Claims
The Notice of Claim is not the only time limit on medical malpractice claims. The statute of limitations also governs these cases, regardless of whether a facility is part of the HHC. Under the law in New York, victims have just two years and six months to file a medical malpractice claim. As with the Notice of Claim, if you do not file before this time limit expires, you will likely lose your right to any compensation at all. Unlike the Notice of Claim, there are some exceptions to the statute of limitations and they are as follows:
- The discovery rule: Medical malpractice is not always discovered right away. If you failed to discover your injuries caused by malpractice right away, the statute of limitations is tolled, or delayed, until the date you discovered or should have discovered that malpractice occurred.
- Discovery of a foreign object: Sometimes, foreign objects such as sponges and gauze are left in the body during surgery. In these instances, victims of medical malpractice have one year from the date they found the foreign object, or should have discovered it, to file a claim.
- Minor children: Due to the fact that minor children do not have the legal capacity required to take legal action, the statute of limitations does not start until the child’s 18th birthday.
Our Woodhull Medical and Mental Health Center Medical Malpractice Lawyer Can Help You Meet Tight Deadlines
The deadlines in medical malpractice claims are very strict and if you miss one, you may forfeit any compensation you are entitled to. At Michael Gunzburg, P.C., our Woodhull Medical and Mental Health Center medical malpractice lawyer will ensure this does not happen so you obtain the full damages you are entitled to. Call us now at 212-725-8500 or contact us online to schedule a consultation and to learn more.
