New York residents might be aware that cancer is a disease that is characterized by abnormal cell growth. As the abnormal cells grow, they affect the functioning of normal cells and eventually take over. This results in the breakdown of normal organ function, which can ultimately lead to death depending on the area of the body affected.
Usually in any medical malpractice case in the state of New York, the doctor who has treated the plaintiff will be called first to the witness stand to provide his testimony. When a medical malpractice lawsuit is initiated, the plaintiff’s lawyer has to prove the case by a preponderance of evidence. This means the lawyer has to establish that his client is more likely right than wrong, in what he is claiming to be true.
Suppose an important piece of evidence in your medical malpractice case has gone missing. Can this information be used at the time of trial? The answer is yes, and you can use that information of missing evidence at trial. Now, let say your case is about failure to timely diagnose and treat a fracture, and the key piece of evidence in your case are the x-rays that were taken in the orthopedics office. Once the lawsuit is initiated by you, these x-rays mysteriously disappear. So, now what happens next?
There will be instances during civil litigations such as medical malpractice, wrongful death, and accident matters, where one of the parties to the case will have certain documents or evidence that they believe should be coming into evidence, or should not be coming into evidence at the time of the trial. When this happens, the concerned side will ask the judge to review the particular piece of evidence in camera or in private.
In order to start a medical malpractice lawsuit in New York, the plaintiff’s attorney has to submit a certificate of merit to the court. In New York, the law requires that when you want to start a medical malpractice case, you must acquire confirmation from a medical expert, who has treated you or reviewed all your medical records. The medical expert must confirm that:
