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IV Fluid Errors That Cause Brain Injury: Medical Malpractice in New York
Intravenous fluid administration is one of the most common medical procedures performed in hospitals, yet errors in IV therapy can result in catastrophic brain injuries. As of 2025, IV medication errors remain among the leading patient safety concerns identified by major healthcare organizations. When healthcare providers administer the wrong type of fluid, incorrect amounts, or fail to properly monitor electrolyte levels, patients can suffer permanent neurological damage or death. According to research published by the National Institutes of Health, 69.7% of IV administrations in one study had at least one clinical error, and 25.5% of those errors were classified as serious. If you or a loved one experienced brain injury due to an IV fluid error, understanding your legal rights is essential.
Key Takeaways
- IV errors are alarmingly common: Studies show wrong IV rate accounts for the majority of serious IV administration errors, and IV infusion is associated with 56% of all medication errors in hospitals.
- Electrolyte imbalances cause brain swelling: Both hyponatremia (low sodium) and hypernatremia (high sodium) can cause cerebral edema and permanent brain damage when not properly managed.
- Correction speed is critical: Rapid correction of sodium levels can cause osmotic demyelination syndrome, resulting in severe neurological impairment or death.
- Vulnerable populations face higher risks: Children, elderly patients, and those with diabetes or kidney disease are particularly susceptible to brain injury from IV fluid errors.
- Legal accountability applies: Hospitals, nurses, and physicians can be held liable when IV fluid errors cause preventable brain damage under New York medical malpractice law.
How Do IV Fluid Errors Cause Brain Injury?
IV fluid administration errors cause brain injury through several distinct mechanisms, each involving disruption of the delicate balance of water and electrolytes that protect brain tissue. The brain is uniquely vulnerable to fluid and electrolyte imbalances because it is enclosed within the rigid skull, leaving no room for swelling without causing dangerous increases in intracranial pressure.
According to research published by the National Institutes of Health, when sodium levels drop too quickly, water moves into brain tissue in response to osmotic gradients, causing cerebral edema. Astrocytes, which are glial cells forming part of the blood-brain barrier, selectively swell while neurons are relatively protected initially. However, when the brain’s adaptive capacity is exceeded, irreversible damage occurs.
The primary mechanisms of IV fluid error brain injury include osmotic brain cell swelling from rapid fluid shifts, electrolyte-induced cerebral edema, brain herniation from increased intracranial pressure, and demyelination from overcorrection of sodium levels. Each of these pathways can result in permanent neurological impairment.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has specifically addressed infusion pump safety, noting that performance problems have occurred across all types of external infusion pumps in a variety of clinical settings. When these errors involve IV fluids that alter electrolyte balance, brain injury is a foreseeable consequence that healthcare providers must work to prevent.
What Are the Most Common Types of IV Fluid Errors?
IV fluid administration involves multiple decision points where errors can occur, from initial fluid selection to ongoing monitoring and adjustment. Research published by the National Institutes of Health found that wrong IV rate was the most frequent error type and accounted for 95 of 101 serious errors observed. Understanding these common error types helps identify when medical negligence may have occurred.
Hyponatremia: Dangerously Low Sodium Levels
Hyponatremia occurs when serum sodium levels fall below 135 mEq/L, with severe cases dropping below 120 mEq/L. This condition develops when patients receive excessive hypotonic fluids or when underlying medical conditions are not properly considered during IV therapy. Research shows that hyponatremia appears in up to 50% of neurosurgical patients and 38% of neurocritical care patients, making proper fluid management essential.
The danger intensifies when healthcare providers attempt to correct low sodium too rapidly. Medical standards require that sodium correction not exceed 8-12 mmol/L daily, or 18-24 mmol/L in the first 48 hours. Exceeding these limits can cause osmotic demyelination syndrome, previously known as central pontine myelinolysis, where rapid sodium correction reverses osmotic gradients, pulling water from brain cells. This causes astrocyte death, inflammatory responses, and demyelination of white matter, particularly in the pons region of the brainstem.
Patients who develop osmotic demyelination syndrome typically show symptoms 2-6 days after rapid correction, including difficulty speaking or swallowing, weakness in arms and legs, altered mental status, and in severe cases, locked-in syndrome where patients remain conscious but cannot move or communicate. Medical literature establishes that sodium correction should not exceed 6-8 mEq/L per 24 hours to prevent this devastating complication. Historically, osmotic demyelination syndrome carried mortality rates of 50-90% at three months. Modern treatment has improved outcomes, but research shows 6% mortality with 40% of survivors suffering severe neurological disability.
Hypernatremia: Excessively High Sodium Levels
Hypernatremia develops when serum sodium exceeds 145 mEq/L, typically from administration of hypertonic saline or inadequate free water replacement. While hypertonic saline is sometimes necessary to treat brain swelling, improper dosing or inadequate monitoring can cause severe complications.
The Neurocritical Care Society guidelines recommend maintaining serum sodium between 155-160 mEq/L when using hypertonic solutions, with chloride levels kept below 110-115 mEq/L to reduce the risk of acute kidney injury. Exceeding these parameters or correcting hypernatremia too rapidly can cause brain cells to shrink, leading to cerebral hemorrhage and permanent neurological damage.
Fluid Overload and Excessive Volume Administration
Fluid overload occurs when patients receive too much IV fluid in too short a timeframe, overwhelming the body’s ability to regulate fluid balance. Swelling in and around the brain can result in permanent brain damage due to patients receiving excessive fluid in a limited period. Children and patients with diabetes, heart failure, or kidney disease face particularly high risks.
In one documented case, a 7-year-old child with diabetic ketoacidosis developed brain swelling from excessive IV saline administration despite active monitoring, resulting in permanent brain damage. According to documented case results, a 3-year-old boy received a $3,990,000 settlement when doctors and nurses gave too much IV fluid, causing seizures and brain hemorrhages. These cases illustrate how even monitored patients can suffer preventable injuries when healthcare providers fail to adjust IV rates appropriately.
IV Infiltration and Extravasation
IV infiltration occurs when fluid leaks into surrounding tissue instead of entering the bloodstream, while extravasation involves vesicant solutions causing tissue damage. Though these complications more commonly cause local tissue injury, severe cases can lead to systemic complications and brain injury. When a PICC line is mistakenly placed in the carotid artery instead of the jugular vein and medications are administered, fluids route directly to the brain with severe or fatal consequences. Additionally, untreated infiltration can cause systemic infection, sepsis, and subsequent brain injury from septic encephalopathy.
Critical Monitoring Requirement
Healthcare providers must continuously monitor fluid input, output, neurological status, and electrolyte levels during IV therapy. Failure to recognize early warning signs of fluid imbalance constitutes a breach of the medical standard of care and may establish liability for resulting brain injuries.
Who Is Most at Risk for IV Fluid Error Brain Injuries?
While any patient receiving IV therapy faces some risk, certain populations are particularly vulnerable to brain injury from fluid administration errors. Healthcare providers owe heightened duties of care when treating these high-risk patients.
Pediatric Patients
Children’s smaller body size and immature regulatory mechanisms make them extremely vulnerable to fluid imbalances. Their brain-to-body ratio and incomplete blood-brain barrier development increase susceptibility to cerebral edema. The $3,990,000 settlement for a 3-year-old who suffered seizures and brain hemorrhages from excessive IV fluids demonstrates the devastating consequences of fluid errors in children.
Elderly Patients
Research published by the National Institutes of Health indicates that hyponatremia affects 10% of community-dwelling seniors and 20% of nursing home residents. Age-related decline in kidney function, multiple medications, and reduced thirst response increase vulnerability. Fall risk increases from 5.3% in patients with normal sodium to 21.3% in hyponatremic patients, often leading to additional injuries.
Diabetic Ketoacidosis Patients
Patients presenting with diabetic ketoacidosis require careful IV fluid management to restore hydration while avoiding cerebral edema. The combination of severe dehydration, electrolyte imbalances, and acidosis creates a complex clinical picture where standard IV protocols can prove catastrophic. Overly aggressive fluid resuscitation can cause rapid shifts in brain osmolality, leading to swelling and herniation.
Kidney Disease Patients
Impaired kidney function reduces the body’s ability to regulate fluid and electrolyte balance. Patients with chronic kidney disease or acute kidney injury cannot efficiently excrete excess fluid or adjust sodium levels, making them particularly susceptible to fluid overload and electrolyte-induced brain injury. Healthcare providers must carefully calculate fluid administration rates based on residual kidney function.
Traumatic Brain Injury Patients
Patients with existing brain injuries face compounded risks from IV fluid errors. The injured brain has limited capacity to accommodate additional swelling, and the blood-brain barrier may be compromised. According to medical malpractice attorneys, hyponatremia after a head injury can cause brain damage or death through exacerbation of cerebral edema and increased intracranial pressure.
Neurosurgical Patients
Patients undergoing brain surgery or those with neurological conditions require meticulous IV fluid management. Post-operative brain swelling, disrupted hormonal regulation, and increased metabolic demands create a narrow therapeutic window. Studies show that up to 50% of neurosurgical patients develop hyponatremia, requiring vigilant monitoring and precise fluid management to prevent secondary brain injury.
What Are the Warning Signs of IV Fluid Error Brain Injury?
Early recognition of IV fluid complications can prevent permanent brain damage. Healthcare providers must monitor for specific signs indicating developing fluid or electrolyte imbalances, and family members should understand which symptoms require immediate medical attention.
Neurological symptoms develop as brain cells respond to osmotic stress and increased intracranial pressure. Initial signs often include headache that progressively worsens, confusion or altered mental status, nausea and vomiting unrelated to underlying illness, and increasing drowsiness or difficulty staying awake.
As cerebral edema advances, more severe symptoms emerge including seizures or convulsions, slurred speech or difficulty communicating, weakness in arms or legs, vision changes or double vision, and decreased level of consciousness progressing to unresponsiveness.
Family Advocacy in the Hospital
According to medical malpractice attorneys who have handled these cases, family members who notice behavioral changes should insist on sodium level testing. In one case, a young man’s family requested sodium testing after noticing unusual behavior following a car accident. His sodium level was found to be critically low at 113 mEq/L, and immediate ICU transfer with hypertonic saline treatment saved his life.
Physical examination findings that should trigger immediate intervention include rapid weight gain indicating fluid retention, decreased urine output despite IV fluids, swelling in extremities or around IV sites, changes in vital signs including blood pressure or heart rate, and abnormal reflexes or muscle tone.
Laboratory values requiring urgent attention include serum sodium below 130 mEq/L or above 150 mEq/L, serum osmolality outside the normal range of 275-295 mOsm/kg, rising or falling sodium levels at rates exceeding safe correction speeds, and concurrent electrolyte abnormalities affecting potassium, chloride, or calcium.
What Medical Standards Apply to IV Fluid Administration?
Healthcare providers must follow established medical standards when administering IV fluids. Deviation from these standards may constitute negligence and establish liability for resulting brain injuries.
| Standard | Requirement | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Hyponatremia Correction | Maximum 8-12 mmol/L per 24 hours, or 18-24 mmol/L in first 48 hours | Prevents osmotic demyelination syndrome |
| Acute Symptomatic Hyponatremia | Initial 1-2 mmol/L per hour to achieve 4-6 mmol/L total increase, then slower | Reverses severe symptoms while minimizing overcorrection risk |
| Hypernatremia Target Range | Maintain 155-160 mEq/L when using hypertonic saline | Reduces acute kidney injury risk |
| Hypernatremia Correction | Maximum 0.5 mEq per hour decrease over 48-72 hours | Prevents cerebral edema from rapid fluid shifts |
| Electrolyte Monitoring | Check sodium levels every 2-4 hours during active correction | Allows timely adjustment to prevent overcorrection |
| Neurological Assessment | Frequent monitoring of mental status, reflexes, and vital signs | Early detection of developing complications |
The Neurocritical Care Society published comprehensive guidelines for acute treatment of cerebral edema, recommending hypertonic sodium solutions over mannitol for fluid resuscitation in most cases. However, these guidelines emphasize that severe hypernatremia and hyperchloremia should be avoided, with clinicians routinely monitoring both sodium and chloride concentrations to assess acute kidney injury risk.
Treatment with 3% hypertonic saline requires careful calculation and continuous monitoring. For acute symptomatic hyponatremia, initial therapy aims to increase serum sodium by 1-2 mmol/L per hour to achieve a total increase of 4-6 mmol/L. This rapid initial correction reverses severe complications like seizures, but subsequent correction must slow to avoid osmotic demyelination.
How Do Healthcare Providers Breach the Standard of Care?
Medical malpractice occurs when healthcare providers fail to meet accepted standards of care, resulting in patient harm. In IV fluid error cases, several common breaches frequently lead to brain injury. Research from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) identifies systemic causes of hospital IV medication errors, including knowledge gaps, calculation errors, failure to double-check, and confusion between look-alike medications.
Failure to Assess Risk Factors
Healthcare providers must evaluate kidney function, existing electrolyte imbalances, medications that affect fluid balance, and underlying conditions before initiating IV therapy. Starting aggressive IV therapy without this assessment creates unreasonable and foreseeable risks to the patient.
Inadequate Patient Monitoring
Inadequate monitoring during IV therapy constitutes negligence even when initial fluid selection was appropriate. The ECRI Institute identified medication safety with smart infusion pumps among its top patient safety concerns for 2024 and 2025, noting errors from fatigue, distraction, and drug library overrides.
Ignoring Abnormal Lab Values
When sodium levels drift outside safe ranges or patients develop neurological symptoms, immediate intervention is required. Delaying treatment, continuing current IV therapy unchanged, or failing to obtain specialist consultation can prove catastrophic and constitutes a failure to exercise professional judgment.
Overcorrection of Electrolytes
Overcorrection of electrolyte imbalances despite known risks represents gross negligence. Medical literature has established safe correction rates for decades. Exceeding these rates without clear medical justification demonstrates a reckless disregard for patient safety.
Documentation Failures
Inadequate documentation of IV therapy, including fluid types, rates, patient response, and laboratory monitoring, may indicate substandard care. Missing records often suggest care was not provided or monitoring was not performed as required.
Infusion Pump Errors
According to the FDA, infusion pump problems have occurred across all types of external infusion pumps. Wrong-rate programming, drug library overrides, and failure to verify pump settings represent preventable sources of patient harm.
According to NIH research, patient identification was only checked in 47.9% of IV administrations, yet proper identification was associated with a 56% reduction in IV error risk. This fundamental safety step, when omitted, significantly increases the likelihood of administering wrong fluids or wrong dosages to patients.
Who Can Be Held Liable for IV Fluid Error Brain Injuries?
Multiple parties may bear responsibility when IV fluid errors cause brain injury. Understanding hospital negligence claims under New York law allows injured patients to pursue compensation from all negligent parties whose actions contributed to the harm.
Registered nurses and licensed practical nurses typically administer IV fluids and monitor patients for complications. Their responsibilities include selecting appropriate IV fluids based on physician orders, programming infusion pumps correctly, monitoring patients for adverse reactions, checking electrolyte levels as ordered, and documenting all aspects of IV therapy. Research indicates that each year of nursing experience up to six years reduces the risk of serious IV error by 18.5%, highlighting the importance of adequate staffing with experienced nurses.
Attending physicians, residents, and hospitalists bear responsibility for ordering appropriate IV fluids, establishing monitoring protocols, reviewing laboratory results and adjusting therapy accordingly, responding to nursing concerns, and ensuring adequate specialist consultation when needed. Physician negligence often involves ordering excessive fluid volumes, failing to adjust orders based on patient response, or inadequately supervising resident physicians.
Hospitals face liability under multiple theories. Vicarious liability holds hospitals responsible for employee negligence, including that of employed nurses and physicians. Corporate negligence liability arises when hospitals fail to establish proper protocols, provide adequate staffing, ensure competent personnel, or maintain functioning equipment. According to the Joint Commission, sentinel event reporting has shown steady increases in recent years, with medication-related events remaining among the most commonly reported categories. The Joint Commission continues to track and report on these safety challenges, underscoring the need for systemic improvements in 2025 and beyond.
Pharmacists may share liability when they fail to identify inappropriate IV fluid orders, do not warn of dangerous medication interactions affecting fluid balance, or provide incorrect formulations of electrolyte solutions.
Filing an IV Fluid Error Lawsuit and Proving Your Case in New York
New York’s statute of limitations strictly limits the time within which medical malpractice lawsuits must be filed. Under New York CPLR Section 214-a, medical malpractice claims must generally be filed within two years and six months from the date of the malpractice, or from the end of continuous treatment by the defendant for the same condition, whichever is later. The continuous treatment doctrine can extend this period when the patient continues seeing the same provider for the condition related to the negligence.
For patients who were incapacitated by the brain injury and unable to understand their legal rights, the statute of limitations may be tolled during the period of incapacity. Cases involving children under age 18 receive special consideration, with the statute of limitations generally not beginning until the child turns 18, allowing filing until the child’s 20th birthday in most cases. The discovery rule may apply in limited circumstances where the brain injury was not immediately apparent, though courts strictly construe this exception.
Essential Evidence for IV Fluid Error Cases
Successfully proving medical malpractice requires comprehensive evidence establishing that healthcare providers breached accepted standards of care and that this breach directly caused the brain injury. Medical records form the foundation of any case. Particularly critical evidence includes IV fluid orders and administration records, hourly intake and output documentation, electrolyte monitoring results showing sodium levels over time, nursing notes describing patient status and responses, and consultation notes from specialists.
Expert medical testimony is required to establish the applicable standard of care, explain how defendants breached that standard, and demonstrate causation between the breach and resulting injuries. Qualified experts typically include nephrologists with expertise in fluid and electrolyte management, neurologists familiar with brain injuries from metabolic causes, critical care specialists experienced in IV therapy management, and nursing experts who can address monitoring and documentation standards.
Time-Sensitive Evidence
Beyond statutory deadlines, practical considerations make early action essential. Medical records may be destroyed after legally required retention periods. Witness memories fade over time. Hospital policies and personnel change. Early investigation and evidence preservation significantly strengthen your case even when statutory deadlines remain months or years away.
Damages and Compensation for IV Fluid Error Brain Injuries
Brain injuries from IV fluid errors can result in devastating, permanent impairments that affect every aspect of a victim’s life. The extent of damage depends on the severity and duration of the fluid imbalance, the brain regions affected, and the timeliness of intervention.
Cognitive impairments commonly include memory deficits affecting short-term or long-term recall, difficulty concentrating or maintaining attention, impaired judgment and decision-making abilities, and reduced processing speed affecting daily functioning. Research indicates that even chronic mild hyponatremia is associated with attention deficits and cognitive decline. Physical disabilities resulting from brain damage include paralysis or weakness in limbs, difficulty speaking or swallowing when cranial nerves are damaged, loss of coordination and balance leading to falls, and seizure disorders requiring lifelong management. In severe cases involving locked-in syndrome, patients remain conscious but cannot move or communicate except possibly through eye movements.
Recoverable Damages Under New York Law
New York law allows victims of medical malpractice to recover various categories of damages designed to address both economic losses and non-economic harms. Economic damages compensate for all past and future medical expenses, lost wages and diminished earning capacity, home modifications necessary for accessibility, and professional caregiving expenses. Non-economic damages address physical pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, and loss of consortium for spouses.
Settlement values vary dramatically based on injury severity, degree of permanent impairment, age and earning capacity of the victim, and strength of liability evidence. According to documented case results, a 3-year-old boy received a $3,990,000 settlement for brain injury caused by excessive IV fluid administration, reflecting the catastrophic nature of these injuries and the lifetime impact on young victims.
How Can IV Fluid Error Brain Injuries Be Prevented?
Most IV fluid error brain injuries are entirely preventable through proper protocols, adequate monitoring, and prompt intervention when complications develop. Hospitals and healthcare providers have clear obligations to implement systems that protect patient safety.
Proper initial assessment must evaluate kidney function through creatinine and GFR measurements, baseline electrolyte levels including sodium, potassium, and chloride, current medications affecting fluid balance such as diuretics or SSRIs, and underlying conditions increasing vulnerability including diabetes, heart failure, or neurological disease. This assessment should guide individualized IV therapy plans rather than one-size-fits-all approaches.
Adequate monitoring protocols require regular electrolyte checks every 2-4 hours during active correction of imbalances, continuous neurological assessments using standardized scales, accurate intake and output documentation to track fluid balance, and daily weights to detect fluid retention. Smart infusion pumps with dose error reduction software can prevent administration errors, but only when properly programmed and not overridden by staff. The Joint Commission Sentinel Event Alert 63 specifically addresses optimizing smart infusion pump safety with dose error reduction software to reduce the risk of medication errors.
Early intervention when problems arise includes immediately slowing or stopping IV fluids when sodium changes too rapidly, administering corrective therapy such as desmopressin for overcorrection, obtaining urgent specialist consultation from nephrology or neurology, and considering ICU transfer for close monitoring. Delay in responding to abnormal trends frequently converts minor complications into catastrophic brain injuries.
Frequently Asked Questions About IV Fluid Error Brain Injuries
How quickly can IV fluid errors cause brain damage?
Brain damage from IV fluid errors can develop within hours in acute cases. Severe hyponatremia causing seizures may occur within 4-6 hours of excessive hypotonic fluid administration. Conversely, osmotic demyelination syndrome typically manifests 2-6 days after rapid overcorrection of sodium levels. The timeframe depends on the rate of electrolyte change, the patient’s baseline condition, and the severity of the imbalance. This is why continuous monitoring is essential during IV therapy.
Can brain damage from IV fluid errors be reversed?
The reversibility of brain damage depends on the severity and duration of injury. Mild cerebral edema may resolve completely with prompt treatment. However, osmotic demyelination syndrome typically causes permanent damage to myelin sheaths, resulting in lasting neurological deficits. Research shows that while modern treatment has reduced mortality from 50-90% historically to about 6% currently, approximately 40% of survivors experience severe permanent neurological disability. Early intervention provides the best chance for recovery, though complete reversal is often not possible once significant damage has occurred.
What is the difference between hyponatremia and hypernatremia?
Hyponatremia refers to abnormally low blood sodium levels (below 135 mEq/L), typically caused by excessive hypotonic IV fluids or inadequate sodium replacement. It causes water to move into brain cells, creating swelling. Hypernatremia is abnormally high blood sodium (above 145 mEq/L), usually from hypertonic saline administration or inadequate free water replacement. It causes water to leave brain cells, potentially leading to cell shrinkage and hemorrhage. Both conditions can cause brain damage, and both require careful, gradual correction to avoid additional injury from treatment itself.
Who is responsible for monitoring IV fluids in the hospital?
Monitoring responsibility is shared among healthcare team members. Physicians order specific IV fluids, rates, and monitoring protocols based on patient condition. Nurses administer fluids, monitor patients for complications, document intake and output, and alert physicians to concerning changes. Pharmacists verify orders and may identify potential problems. The hospital bears ultimate responsibility for ensuring adequate staffing, proper protocols, and functional equipment. When any team member fails in their monitoring obligations and brain injury results, they may be held liable for medical malpractice.
Can family members request changes to IV therapy if concerned?
Yes, family members can and should advocate for patients when they notice concerning changes. While families cannot unilaterally change medical orders, they can request additional testing, ask for physician evaluation, or insist on specialist consultation. Medical malpractice cases have documented instances where family advocacy prevented catastrophic outcomes. If medical staff dismiss legitimate concerns without adequate evaluation, families may request patient transfer to another provider or facility. Documentation of these requests can be important if negligence later becomes apparent.
How do you prove that IV fluid errors caused brain damage?
Proving causation requires medical records documenting IV fluid administration, laboratory results showing abnormal sodium levels, timing of neurological symptom development, and neuroimaging studies revealing brain injury patterns consistent with fluid complications. Expert medical testimony establishes that the specific brain injury pattern matches known complications of IV fluid errors rather than other potential causes. For osmotic demyelination syndrome, MRI findings showing characteristic lesions in the pons provide strong evidence. The temporal relationship between improper IV therapy and symptom onset is critical to establishing causation.
What compensation can you recover for permanent brain damage from IV errors?
Compensation may include all past and future medical expenses, lost wages and diminished future earning capacity, costs of home modifications and assistive equipment, professional caregiving expenses, pain and suffering damages, and loss of enjoyment of life. In cases involving young victims, lifetime care costs can reach millions of dollars. Recent settlements include $3,990,000 for a 3-year-old with brain injury from excessive IV fluids. The specific value depends on injury severity, degree of permanent impairment, victim’s age and earning potential, and strength of liability evidence. An experienced medical malpractice attorney can evaluate your specific case.
Experienced Legal Representation for IV Fluid Error Brain Injuries
If you or a loved one suffered brain injury due to IV fluid administration errors, you need an attorney who understands both the complex medical issues and New York medical malpractice law. Our team has experience representing victims of hospital negligence, working to secure compensation for medical expenses, lost income, and the profound impact of permanent brain damage.
