Were you or a loved one the victim of medical malpractice in Brooklyn? Our Brooklyn medical malpractice lawyers can help you get the justice and compensation you deserve.
Our partners Michael Kaplen and Shana De Caro have over 40 years’ experience representing individuals who have suffered injury or death as a result of physician, surgeon, or hospital malpractice.
And our attorneys have successfully advocated for Brooklyn residents in cases involving:
- Anesthesia malpractice
- Ear, nose, & throat medical malpractice
- Emergency room malpractice
- Hospital malpractice
- Improper treatment of infectious diseases
- Internist malpractice
- Medical errors in orthopedics
- Medical malpractice in the care of children
- Misdiagnosed cancer
- Neurosurgery malpractice
- Obstetrical and birth injury
- Retinopathy of prematurity
- Stroke misdiagnosis
We work on a contingency basis, which means you only pay a fee if we are successful in receiving compensation for your injuries. There are no up-front costs for you to pay.
Please get in touch for a free consultation.
How Common Are Medical Malpractice Cases In Brooklyn?
We contacted the New York State Office of Court Administration to obtain statistics on the number of medical malpractice cases filed in each county of the City of New York.
The chart below shows the annual number of filings related to medical malpractice in Kings County (Brooklyn).
According to the New York State Office of Court Administration there were a total of 5,358 medical malpractice cases filed in Brooklyn between 2011 and 2018. This is an average of 670 cases per year in the borough.
The data also revealed that Brooklyn was the New York borough with the highest number of medical malpractice cases over the same period:
A total of 16,769 medical malpractice cases were filed in NYC between 2011 and 2018.
Almost 32% of NYC medical malpractice cases were filed in Brooklyn, which is slightly higher than the percentage of New Yorkers who live in the borough (30.7%).
Performance of Brooklyn Hospitals
Figures are not currently available for the number of medical malpractice cases pursued against individual hospitals in Brooklyn. However, below we have collated performance statistics for 3 of the major hospitals in the borough (NYC Health & Hospitals, New York-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital, and Brookdale Hospital Medical Center), which were published by the New York State Department of Health. These include:
- mortality rates compared to national and state averages
- complications compared to national averages
- waiting times
- patient satisfaction
Performance Summary
| Hospitals | Mortality | Complications | Wait Time | Satisfaction | Complaints | Substantiated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NYC Health | 1.35 | 1.67 | 82 mins | 60.83% | 0.1 | 27.30% |
| Presbyterian | 1.19 | 1.15 | 30 mins | 67.50% | 0.1 | 22.20% |
| Brookdale | 1.27 | 0.95 | 59 mins | 61.67% | 0.7 | 19.20% |
- Mortality: relative to national (1.0), lower is better. New York State average = 1.34
- Complications: relative to national (1.0), lower is better. New York State average = 0.87
- Wait Time: average patient wait time in ED before assessment by healthcare professional
- Patient Satisfaction: higher is better
- Complaints: number of complaints per 10,000 patient days
- Substantiated: percentage of allegations which were substantiated
NYC Hospital – Kings County
Non-cardiac surgery related deaths at Kings County Hospital in Brooklyn were 35% higher than the national average, but only slightly above the average for New York state.
The hospital performed poorly with regard to the number of complications reported, 67% higher than the national average.
And performance was also poor for patient waiting times, with an average Emergency Department (ED) wait of 82 minutes before assessment by a healthcare professional.
Patient satisfaction at the facility was very low, with almost 4 out of 10 patients unhappy with their experience at the hospital. Nationally, there were only 36 facilities (out of 4221) which recorded lower patient satisfaction.
However, there were only 0.1 complaints received per 10,000 patient days, which is half the state average. 27.3% of complaints were substantiated.
New York-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital
The New York-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital performed acceptably on most factors, with only the number of complications being classed as poor.
While the number of non-cardiac surgery related deaths at the hospital was 19% higher than the national average, the figure was low enough for the hospital to classed as a high performer in New York State.
Complications were 15% higher than the national average, which (as noted above) was assessed as poor.
At 30 minutes, wait times at the New York-Presbyterian Brooklyn were only 2 minutes higher than the state average (28 minutes), giving the hospital an average rating.
And 67.5% of patients were satisfied with their experience at the facility, which is within the normal range.
The hospital also received a low number of complaints, with just 0.1 complaint lodged per 10,000 patient days. 22.2% of complaints were substantiated, which is lower than the state average (26.8%)
Brookdale Hospital Medical Center
Non-cardiac surgery related deaths at Brookdale Hospital Medical Center were 27% higher than the national average, but several points below the average for New York State.
While complications at the hospital were 5% below the national average.
Emergency Department timeliness was rated poor, with an average patient wait time of 59 minutes prior to assessment by a healthcare professional. This was more than double the average wait time in New York state (28 mins).
And patient satisfaction was low, with just 61.67% of patients reporting that they were satisfied with their experience at Brookdale.
This may have contributed to the high number of complaints received, which at 0.7 per 10,000 patient days was more than 3 times the state average. 19.2% of complaints were substantiated.
Which Areas Of Brooklyn Do We Cover?
Our attorneys accept medical malpractice cases throughout Brooklyn, including: Bay Ridge, Brooklyn Heights, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Greenpoint, Flatbush, Fort Green, Bensonhurst, Midwood, East New York, Canarsie, Brownsville, Coney Island, Crown Heights, Park Slope, and Williamsburg.
Which Brooklyn Hospitals Can We Accept Medical Malpractice Cases Against?
We can accept medical malpractice cases against all Brooklyn hospitals, including:
- Brookdale University Hospital and Medical Center, 555 Rockaway Parkway, now also 1 Brookdale Plaza, Brooklyn.
- Brooklyn Hospital Center, 121 DeKalb Avenue, Brooklyn.
- Brooklyn V.A. Medical Center, 800 Poly Place, Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.
- Coney Island Hospital, 2601 Ocean Parkway, Brooklyn.
- Interfaith Medical Center, 1545 Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn.
- Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center, 585 Schenectady Avenue, Brooklyn.
- Kings County Hospital Center, 451 Clarkson Avenue, Brooklyn.
- Maimonides Medical Center, 4802 10th Avenue, Brooklyn.
- Mount Sinai Brooklyn, 3201 Kings Highway, Brooklyn.
- New York Community Hospital, 2525 Kings Highway, Brooklyn.
- New York-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital, 506 6th Street, Brooklyn.
- NYU Lutheran Medical Center, 150 55th Street, Brooklyn.
- University Hospital of Brooklyn, 450 Clarkson Avenue, Brooklyn.
- Woodhull Medical and Mental Health Center, 760 Broadway at Flushing Avenue, Brooklyn.
- Wyckoff Heights Medical Center, 374 Stockholm Street, Brooklyn.
Your Medical Malpractice Case
Our firm assists individuals who have been injured as a result of negligence by healthcare providers in Brooklyn and throughout New York State.
Our highly trained, experienced, and compassionate lawyers will help you through the process from start to finish.
Please get in touch and allow us to help you get the compensation and justice you deserve for your medical malpractice case.