Medical Malpractice Lawyers in New York

Most doctors do their jobs well. But when a provider makes a serious mistake — misreads a scan, botches a surgery, ignores warning signs — the consequences can be permanent. New York gives injured patients the right to hold negligent providers accountable, and the right can be worth a great deal. It’s also one of the hardest areas of injury law to prove.

We take medical malpractice seriously because the stakes are high on both sides. A valid case deserves a firm willing to invest in experts, records, and trial preparation. That’s the approach we bring.

What counts as malpractice

Not every bad outcome is malpractice. Medicine involves risk, and a poor result alone isn’t enough. A claim requires a deviation from the accepted standard of care — what a reasonably careful provider would have done in the same situation — and proof that the deviation caused your injury. Both pieces are essential, and both usually require expert testimony.

Common types of cases

• Misdiagnosis and delayed diagnosis — missed cancer, missed heart attacks, missed infections
• Surgical errors — wrong-site surgery, retained instruments, nerve damage
• Birth injuries — harm to mother or baby from mismanaged labor and delivery
• Medication errors — wrong drug, wrong dose, dangerous interactions
• Anesthesia mistakes and failures to monitor a patient

The expert requirement

New York requires medical malpractice cases to be supported by qualified medical experts. A physician in the relevant field must review the records and confirm that the care fell below standard and caused harm. This is why these cases cost more to build than a typical injury claim, and why an early, honest evaluation matters. We tell clients straight whether we believe a case can be proven.

The deadline is shorter than you think

Medical malpractice has its own statute of limitations in New York: generally two years and six months from the date of the malpractice, or from the end of continuous treatment for the same condition. That’s shorter than the three-year window for most injury cases. There are wrinkles — including special rules for foreign objects left in the body and for certain missed-cancer diagnoses — but the safe move is to have your case reviewed quickly. If a public hospital or municipal provider is involved, a Notice of Claim within 90 days may also be required.

Real results

Our firm secured an $18,500,000 verdict in a Brooklyn medical malpractice case involving a brain injury (2024). Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. In another matter, we recovered $750,000 for a radial nerve injury caused by medical negligence. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Each case is decided on its own facts — the severity of the harm, the strength of the expert proof, and the record we build.

What a claim can recover

• Past and future medical expenses, including long-term care
• Lost income and lost earning capacity
• Pain, suffering, and permanent disability
• In fatal cases, a wrongful death claim for the family

When malpractice causes death, New York allows a wrongful death claim, which carries its own two-year deadline. These claims run alongside the malpractice case and require careful handling.

How we build the case

1. Obtain and review the complete medical records.
2. Retain qualified experts to evaluate the standard of care and causation.
3. Document the full extent of the injury and its effect on your life.
4. Prepare every case as if it will be tried, because insurers respond to that.

Talk to a partner-led firm

Sullivan & Brill has eight offices across New York and more than 30 years handling serious injury and malpractice cases. We pledge to represent you as one of our own. The consultation is free, we work on contingency — no fee unless we recover — and we’re available 24/7. Review our case results, explore our car accident practice, or contact us to have your case reviewed.