Did you or a loved one suffer injury as a result of negligence by a healthcare professional or medical facility or hospital in Buffalo? Our Buffalo medical malpractice lawyers can help you get the justice and compensation you deserve.
Our partners Michael Kaplen and Shana De Caro have over 40 years’ experience representing individuals who have suffered injury or death due to professional negligence of their health care provider.
And our attorneys have successfully advocated for Buffalo residents in cases involving:
- Anesthesia malpractice
- Ear, nose, & throat medical malpractice
- Emergency room malpractice
- Hospital malpractice
- Improper treatment of infectious diseases
- Internist malpractice
- Medical errors in orthopedics
- Medical malpractice in the care of children
- Misdiagnosed cancer
- Neurosurgery malpractice
- Obstetrical and birth injury
- Retinopathy of prematurity
- Stroke misdiagnosis
We work on a contingency basis, which means you only pay a fee if we are successful in receiving compensation for you.
Please get in touch for a free consultation.
Performance Of Buffalo Hospitals
We have collated performance statistics for 2 of the major hospitals in Buffalo (Erie County Medical Center, and Mercy Hospital of Buffalo), which were published by the New York State Department of Health. These include:
- mortality rates compared to national and state averages
- complications compared to national averages
- waiting times
- patient satisfaction
Performance Summary
| Hospitals | Mortality | Complications | Wait Time | Satisfaction | Complaints | Substantiated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erie County | 0.98 | 0.78 | 160 mins | 69.5% | 0.04 | 33.33% |
| Mercy | 1.7 | 0.88 | 111 mins | 67.83% | 0.4 | 17.60% |
Complications In Buffalo Hospitals
Ratio compared to the national average of 1.0 (lower is better)
1. Erie County Medical Center: 0.78
2. Mercy Hospital of Buffalo: 0.88
New York State average: 0.87
Erie County Medical Center had fewer complications than Mercy Hospital, with a ratio 22% lower than the national average, and 10.3% lower than the state average.
While Mercy Hospital of Buffalo had a ratio of complications 12% lower than the national average, complications were slightly higher than average for New York State
Non-Cardiac Deaths In Buffalo Hospitals
Ratio compared to the national average of 1.0 (lower is better)
1. Erie County Medical Center: 0.98
2. Mercy Hospital of Buffalo: 1.7
New York State average: 1.34
Erie County Medical Center had a ratio of non-cardiac related deaths which was 2% lower than the national average and 27% lower than the state average.
However, Mercy Hospital of Buffalo had a ratio of non-cardiac deaths which was 27% higher than the average for New York State, and 70% higher than the national average.
Hospital Acquired Infections (Surgical Site)
Ratio compared to state average of 1.0 (lower is better)
1. Mercy Hospital of Buffalo: 0.98
2. Erie County Medical Center: 1.01
Both hospitals had a ratio of hospital acquired surgical infections which were broadly in line with the national average. While the difference is minimal, Mercy Hospital performed slightly better in this category.
Emergency Department Timeliness
Median ED wait time in minutes prior to assessment by a medical professional (lower is better)
1. Mercy Hospital of Buffalo: 111 minutes
2. Erie County Medical Center: 160 minutes
New York State median: 153 minutes
Mercy Hospital of Buffalo had the lowest Emergency Department wait time prior to assessment by a medical professional, with an average wait of 111 minutes (42 minutes less than the state median).
However, with a median wait time of 160 minutes, Erie County Medical Center had a wait time that was 7 minutes longer than the median for New York state.
Patient Satisfaction For Buffalo Hospitals
1. Erie County Medical Center: 69.5%
2. Mercy Hospital of Buffalo: 67.83%
69.5% of surveyed patients who were treated at Erie County Medical Center expressed they were satisfied with their experience at the hospital. Nationwide, this placed the hospital at position 2653 for patient satisfaction out of 4228 facilities surveyed.
Patient satisfaction at Mercy Hospital was slightly lower, with 67.83% of patients expressing satisfaction — ranking the hospital at position 3413.
Inspections And Complaints
Between July 1st 2016 and June 30th 2019, both Buffalo hospitals received 0.4 complaints per 10,000 patient days. This was over 2x the average for New York State (0.2).
However despite the number of complaints being the same, more of the complaints against Erie Medical Center were later substantiated (33.3% vs 17.6%).
Buffalo Hospitals
De Caro & Kaplen, LLP, can accept medical malpractice cases resulting from negligence by all Buffalo and Erie County hospitals, including:
Bertrand Chaffee Hospital, Brooks-TLC Hospital System, Inc., Buffalo General Medical Center, Cuba Memorial Hospital Inc, Degraff Memorial Hospital, Eastern Niagara Hospital – Lockport Division, Erie County Medical Center, John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital, Kenmore Mercy Hospital, Medina Memorial Hospital, Memorial Hosp of Wm F & Gertrude F Jones A/K/A Jones Memorial Hosp, Mercy Hospital – Mercy Hospital Orchard Park Division, Mercy Hospital of Buffalo, Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital, Mount St Marys Hospital and Health Center, Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center, Olean General Hospital, Olean General Hospital, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Sisters of Charity Hospital, Sisters of Charity Hospital – St. Joseph Campus, United Memorial Medical Center Bank Street Campus, United Memorial Medical Center North Street Campus, UPMC Chautauqua at WCA, Westfield Memorial Hospital Inc, Woman’s Christian Association Hospital, Wyoming County Community Hospital
Your Buffalo Medical Malpractice Case
Our firm helps individuals who have been injured as a result of negligence from healthcare providers in Buffalo and throughout New York State.
Our highly trained, experienced, and compassionate lawyers will help you through the process from start to finish.
Please get in touch and allow us to help you get the compensation and justice you deserve for your Buffalo medical malpractice case.