In a medical malpractice case, the defense lawyer might object that the expert witness we have called to the stand is not qualified to testify. This objection can be raised for a medical expert who is just about to testify, for whatever reason the defense lawyer believes, he is not qualified to testify.
While questioning the doctor at the deposition or during pre-trial testimony, the plaintiff’s lawyer will try everything to push the doctor’s buttons. There is a key strategic reason why the lawyer does this. When an injured victim brings a lawsuit seeking compensation for the harms and losses he has suffered because of the doctor’s carelessness, the victim’s lawyer will have the opportunity during the litigation process to question the doctor under oath and at the attorney’s office. This is known as the deposition or examination before trial.
When an attorney accepts your medical malpractice case; who will be paying the expenses for prosecuting the case? The lawyer will be charging his fees on contingency basis, which means he will only be paid if you receive any compensation.
In medical malpractice case, it is possible that the jury is unable to reach a decision or is deadlocked. In such instances, the defense lawyer will most probably want the judge to declare a mistrial, whereas the plaintiff’s lawyer will want the jury to go back and continue deliberating until they reach a verdict. In any civil case in New York, when the jury deliberates, it needs five jurors out of the six, to agree on any one of the issues, in order to reach a verdict.
When you are injured due to the negligence of your doctor, you may have a valid basis for a medical malpractice case. However, what do you do, if the doctor is refusing to release your medical records? You have the right to take copies of your medical records from any doctor, you have been consulting in the state of New York. In order to get the records, you have to write the doctor a permission slip, which simply asks for the copy of the records.
