Physicians, Nurses and Health Care Providers
Most doctors will be sued at least once in their career. Sugarman Law Firm has developed a close and long standing relationship with Central New York's medical community through its participation in charitable organizations, hospital boards, county medical societies, and representation of health care professionals. Various partners and employees of Sugarman Law Firm are related to practicing and/or retired physicians and have personal relationships with doctors, chiropractors, nurses and hospital administrators. Since we value those relationships, Sugarman does not sue any treatment provider for medical malpractice and focuses exclusively on defending doctors, hospitals, nursing homes and medical groups. As fellow professionals committed to helping others, the lawyers at Sugarman recognize that medical malpractice lawsuits can effect your practice, your livelihood, your personal life, and your standing both professionally and personally.
Unfortunately, good patient care and practicing good medicine do not always protect doctors from costly malpractice claims. Doctor/patient relationships are often strained and undermined by health insurance carriers' referral networks, reimbursement guidelines, and procedural formalities which complicate the administration of needed care, consultations, treatment and testing.
We regularly represent the Syracuse area's most prestigious and experienced physicians and medical groups and regularly retain skilled, experienced health care professionals to help us evaluate and defend all medical malpractice cases. We regularly represent doctors in claims brought by the Office of Professional Medical Conduct (OPMC) and the New York State Department of Health. Additionally, we represent doctors in OPMC licensure matters and other health care professionals in Department of Health licensure matters.
When a medical malpractice claim is filed, the patient's "expert" often identifies a breach of a standard of care based upon the review of records without regard to the care and treatment the patient actually received. Our goal is to fully understand all aspects of the claim, not just identify the standard of care. Although our main focus is to help our physician clients avoid litigation, our trial lawyers are highly skilled, experienced litigators. Whether the claim alleges misconduct, administrative or licensing hearings, errors in diagnosis, surgery, testing, improper medication, inadequate care by a nursing home or hospital, we strongly believe that thorough preparation and open communication with our physician clients and consultants is the best way to ensure an equitable settlement or successful outcome at trial or on appeal.
We can also provide business counseling to hospitals, nursing homes, medical groups and health care providers.
Additional services we provide include:
- Collections
- Defense of Malpractice Claims
- Employment Contracts
- Equipment and Office Space Leasing Agreements and Negotiations
- Estate Planning for Professionals
- Formation/Dissolution of Practice Entities
- Real Estate Transactions
- Representation on Reimbursement Issues
- Sale/Purchase of Practice Entities or Equipment
