Former patient Sang Woon Kim’s estate has sued New York Presbyterian Lawrence Hospital and several of its physicians for medical malpractice on Tuesday. Kim died as a result of the hospital’s substandard practices, constituting negligence, and malpractice under New York law, the plaintiff contended.
According to the New York State Queens County Supreme Court complaint, the treating physicians failed to meet their duty of care through a number of acts and omissions. Chiefly, the estate alleges that New York Presbyterian failed to uncover the deceased’s true illness, “stenosing coronary atherosclerosis and cardiomegaly.” The filing also accuses the defendants of failing to timely review and consider Kim’s medical history, provide diagnostic testing, recognize the seriousness of his condition causing him to worsen, administer medications and treatment, refer him to a specialist, use due care in the procedures performed, maintain medical and diagnostic equipment, and “follow good, known and accepted customs and practices of the medical profession.”
The filing states three causes of action, the first of which is medical malpractice aimed at the three treating physicians. The complaint states that “[a]s a result of the alleged malpractice, the Plaintiff suffered pain and suffering and loss of life, all of which could have been easily avoided had the Defendants exercised the required standard of care and expertise, thus constituting medical malpractice and negligence and which fell below the accepted standards of medical care.”
The second charge is negligence/medical malpractice against the hospital. The complaint lists a litany of deficiencies including failure to practice according to accepted standards, to train staff properly, to meet the standard of care, to heed the patient’s signs and symptoms, to timely diagnose and treat his true condition, and to properly medicate and provide surgeries. The final cause of action is wrongful death.
For each count, the estate seeks “a sum of money having a present value which exceeds the jurisdictional limits of all lower courts which would otherwise have jurisdiction of this matter.”
The estate is represented by Sim & Depaola, LLP.
