List of Doctors and Their Functions

Audiologists: Are medical doctors that help patients with different ear problems. They also help children who are either deaf or mute learn to communicate.

Allergists: Are doctors that treat different kinds of allergies and immune system disorders like hay fever, asthma, etc.

Andrologists: Are doctors that perform laboratory evaluations of male fertility.

Anesthesiologists: Are doctors that administer anesthesia and anesthetic medicines. They help facilitate treatment, diagnosis of medical conditions, and surgeries without the patient having to feel pain associated with the surgery.

Cardiologists: Are doctors that specialize with issues related to the heart. They diagnose and treat heart diseases and cardiovascular diseases.

Dentists: These doctors deal with oral health, teeth and dental problems like cavities and bleeding gums. They treat gum diseases, straighten teeth, carry out root canals, and other issues related to the mouth.

Dermatologists: Are doctors that deal with the skin as well as its appendages such as nails, hair and sweat glands.

Emergency Doctors: Are that offer their services in the emergency room and are on call 24/7. They treat various emergency cases that vary from poisoning, broken bones, burns, heart attack, and anything and everything that can be termed as a medical emergency Typically a person will only utilize this type of doctor during emergency situations.

Endocrinologists: Are doctors that specialize in diabetes, the thyroid, and the endocrine gland.

ENT Doctors: Are doctors that treat the ear, nose and throat, as well as to some extent some ailments of the head and the neck. This field is also known as otolaryngology.

Epidemiologists: Are doctors that study of diseases to determine ways to prevent diseases through vaccinations and other methods.

Family Practitioners: Are doctors that specialize in providing comprehensive, continuous healthcare for all family members, regardless of age or sex.

Gastroenterologists: Are doctors that study diseases of digestive system and gives treatment related to the gastroenterology.

Gynecologists: Are doctor that study and treat diseases of the female reproductive system.

Hematologists: Are doctors that specialize in diseases of the blood and blood-forming organs.

Hepatologists: Are doctors that specialize in liver diseases as well as gallbladder, and pancreas disorders.

Immunologists: Are doctors that study all aspects of the immune system in all organisms and gives treatment to diseases of the immune system.

Infectious Disease Specialists: Are doctors that study and treat diseases that are caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi, parasites. These specialists are usually based within the hospital and are involved in a lot of research work.

Internal Medicine Specialists: Are doctors that provide diagnosis, management and non-surgical treatment of unusual or serious diseases. These specialists are usually found working in hospitals as intensivists.

Internists: Are doctors that focus on adult medicine and have completed a special study related to the prevention and treatment of adult diseases.

Medical Geneticists: Are doctors that carry out studies, tests, treatments and counseling patients with genetic diseases.

Microbiologists: Are doctors that study causes, diagnosis, and treatment of infectious diseases.

Neonatologists: Are doctors that provide medical care to premature and critically ill newborn babies.

Nephrologists: Are doctors that treat kidney diseases and problems.

Neurologist: Are doctors that diagnose and treat disorders of the nervous system, such as headache, epilepsy, numbness, Parkinson’s disease, and loss of movement or memory, etc…

Neurosurgeons: Are surgeons that treat central and peripheral nervous system diseases that can be cured or controlled to some extent with mechanical intervention.

Obstetricians: Are doctors that are experts with childbirth, C-sections, gynecological surgeries like hysterectomy, surgical removal of ovarian tumors, examination of the pelvic region, PAP smears, prenatal care, etc.

Oncologists: Are doctors that specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.

Ophthalmologist: Are doctors that takes care of eyes and treats various eye problems and performs different eye surgeries.

Orthopedic Surgeons: Are doctors that concerned with the skeletal system of the human body, that is, bones. These doctors make no bones about broken, fractured or arthritis struck bones.

Perinatologists: Are doctors that are experts in caring and treating high risk pregnancies.

Paleopathologists: Are doctors that study diseases and the structural and functional changes of disease in ancient human bones.

Parasitologists: Are doctors that study of parasites, their biology and pathology, as well as the parasitic diseases caused by them.

Pathologists: Are doctors that practice, evaluate, and/or supervise diagnostic tests, and who conducts experiments or other investigations to determine the causes or nature of diseases. Pathologists usually do not come in contact with the patients directly as their work is mostly lab work. They are usually referred to as a ‘doctor’s doctor’ since they speak to doctors of the patients rather than the patients themselves.

Pediatricians: Are doctors that study and treat medical problems of infants, children, and adolescents.

Physiologists: Are doctors that study the function of body systems such as the respiratory system and organs such as the heart and muscles

Physiatrists: Are doctors that specialize in rehabilitation and functional deficits that might occur following a major injury or illness.

Plastic Surgeons: Are doctors dealing with the repair or replacement of malformed, injured, or lost organs or tissues of the body, chiefly by the transplant of living tissues. They also perform cosmetic surgery to repair skin and structural imperfections that a patient is uncomfortable living with.

Podiatrists: Are doctors that study and treat disorders of the foot and ankle.

Psychiatrists: Are doctors that specialize in psychiatry. They diagnose and treat mental illness and behavioral disorders.

Pulmonologists: Are doctors that specialize in the diagnoses and treatment of breathing issues and lung conditions.

Radiologists: Are doctors that have special training in reading x-rays and other types of diagnostic imaging studies, for example, ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging.

Rheumatologists: Are doctors that deal mainly with clinical problems involving joints, soft tissues, autoimmune diseases, vasculitis, and heritable connective tissue disorders.

Surgeons: Are doctors that perform operations on almost all parts of the body. Surgery may be utilized to diagnose illness, remove or repair tissue, repair injuries, or correct malfunctioning parts.

Urologists: Are doctors that study the urinary system and treat disorders of the urinary tract or urogenital system.

To start, lets define each scenario.

Personal injury Claim – a personal injury claim only involves you, the person or entity responsible for the injury or their insurance company. It does not involve the court system.

Personal injury Lawsuit – a personal injury lawsuit involves taking a defendant to court because they won’t give you a fair or satisfactory settlement. A person will use a lawsuit to help force a payment. Just because you take a defendant to court doesn’t mean that the court will find the defendant liable nor does it guarantee you compensation.

Your case begins when you get injured. This relates to the area of law called Tort Law.

Tort – Tort is a civil wrong, or the area of law involving civil wrongs (Tort Law). Tort law deals with situations when a person’s actions has unfairly caused someone else harm or suffering. A tort does not have to be an illegal act; however, the act must have caused harm. A claim in tort may be brought by anyone that has suffered loss.

After being injured, you or your attorney will make a claim against the defendant. Typically, the claim is made through the defendant’s insurance company. In essence, you’re asking the defendant to take responsibility for my injuries and compensate you for damages.

The insurance company will process your claim. They will obtain the background information relating to the accident and the injury such as police reports, medical records, and interviews. Once they gather and review the information, the insurance company will make a decision on whether you have a valid claim or not.

Upon their decision, the insurance company will decide on whether or not you’ll receive a settlement and if so, how much you’ll receive. Whether or not the insurance company settles; does not mean that your claim is or isn’t legitimate.

In many cases, your attorney will help negotiate with the insurance company so that you receive a more appropriate settlement for your injuries. If both you and the insurance company agree to a settlement amount; then they pay you and the process ends. No courts are involved in this scenario.

If you both sides cannot reach an agreement than a tort lawsuit can begin. You’ll sue them in court to recover damages. To help establish a guideline for personal injury cases, many states, such as New York, have instituted a “Serious Injury Threshold”.

Click Here to see our previous blog relating to the Qualifiers of New York’s “Serious Injury Threshold”.

Examples of circumstances that would meet this threshold are experiences like a broken limb or permanent disability.

Besides a threshold that must be meet to constitute a valid personal injury lawsuit, you should also be aware that there’s a Statute of Limitations on personal injury cases in all states! Usually it’s 2 or 3 years.

Click Here to see our previous blog relating to New York States Statute of Limitations.

Be sure to find out your state’s limitation statute. Ask an attorney about your states limitations in relation to your circumstance. The laws can be confusing and a good lawyer will help explain everything to you in full detail. Remember, if you don’t file your lawsuit in court within your states required time period, you will lose all your rights to recover damages.

Article 51 of the Insurance Law provides that a plaintiff in a personal injury action arising out of negligence in the use or operation of a motor vehicle must establish that he/she has incurred a basic economic loss exceeding $50,000 or must establish that he/she has suffered “serious injury”.  Insurance Law § 5104(a), (b).  Serious injury is defined as personal injury which results in one of the following:

• Death
• Dismemberment
• Significant disfigurement
• Fracture
• Loss of a fetus
• Permanent loss of use of a body organ, member, function or system
• Permanent consequential limitation of a body organ or member
• Significant limitation of use of a body function or system
• Medically determined injury or impairment of a non-permanent nature which prevents the injured person from performing substantially all of the material acts which constitute such person’s usual and customary daily activities for not less than 90 days during the 180 days immediately following the occurrence of the injury or impairment.

Limitation is 3 years with Discovery Rule for exposure to toxic substances.

Wrongful Death Statute of Limitation in New York

Limitation is 2 years from date of death.

Medical Malpractice Statue of Limitation in New York

Limitation is 2 1/2 years. Tolled for foreign object or continuous treatment. Statute runs from end of continuous treatment or discovery of foreign object which is 1 year. If the malpractice is fraudulently concealed, Statute of Limitation is 6 years from when fraud is, or should have been, discovered. Infants: tolled, but not to exceed 10 years.

Malpractice (other than Medical) Statue of Limitation in New York

Limitation is 3 years for other non-medical professional malpractice (legal, etc.).

Products Liability Statute of Limitations in New York

Limitation is 3 years.

Intentional Torts Statute of Limitations in New York

Limitation is 1 year.

Fraud Statute of Limitations in New York

If the defendant conceals either negligence or injury, the statute of limitations of 6 years begins from discovery of the fraud.

Municipal Liability/Sovereign Immunity Statute of Limitations in New York

Require notice of claim within 90 days of occurrence and commencement of suit within 1 year and 90 days of occurrence. Other Notice of Claim provisions apply to different political subdivisions and actions against the State may only be brought in front of a judge presiding over the Court of Claims. In this scenario no jury is involved.

Discovery Rule

See specific rules for medical malpractice and products liability.

Disclaimer:

Statutes of limitations are always subject to change by the governing bodies in New York. Please know the statutes listed above are available for general use only. If you have specific questions about the statute of limitations in New York you can contact Pulvers, Pulvers & Thompson LLP.

You should note that if the accident is 100% your fault and their are no mitigating circumstances such as faulty equipment then you typically don’t have a personal injury case. Surprisingly many people want to claim compensation even when they are at fault.

If you receive injuries as a result of someone else’s negligence then typically you’re entitled to an injury settlement. Similarly, if you don’t sustain a true injury regardless of how aggravating the incident, you typically don’t have grounds for a personal injury claim.

Once you contact police, they access the situation and provide emergency service to those in needs. Once everyone is out of harms way, they will write up an accident report. The police will notate and record critical information about the accident including but not limited to witness reports, contact information, and insurance details. This information is important and will be necessary when you make your formal personal injury complaint to the insurance company.

We don’t need to involve the cops.

If someone asks you not to involve the law or that you can settle this between yourselves, “don’t listen”. Once you leave the scene the other person can call the police and change their story. You may find yourself on the wrong end of a law suit unable to claim your injury settlement. The police report will provide the insurance company an unbiased account of the situation so that there is no misunderstanding.

Notate and Record

The police may miss information or misplace evidence so always write down the details of what happened as soon as possible after the accident. Continue to record any developments as the your case progresses. Your case can be in litigation for years and you don’t want to rely on memory and your notes can be a great reminder of how everything occurred.

If possible have someone take pictures of the accident and your injuries. You can ask a friend or a family member to do it. With technology many people are able to take pictures with their phones. A good picture of your injuries can help the court to properly assess the damage from the accident. It can possibly increase your injury settlement amount and provide pressure for the insurance adjuster to settle your case more quickly.

After The Accident

After the emergency medical treatment is performed, you should contact your personal injury attorney.  If your in New York, please feel free to reach out to us. Our legal team will provide you a free consultation in regards to your situation. We have over 70 years of experience working with personal injury cases.

We understand this maybe a difficult time for you and our team helped many people in similar circumstances. We understand some of the best ways to coupe with the situation and we can provide you insight that can potentially ease your angst.

Plan on getting thorough and proper medical treatment from your doctor. Your general physician should be able to recommend a doctor that can service your injuries properly.

We don’t recommended using a doctor recommended by a lawyer or a well known personal injury doctor. An insurance adjuster may know this doctor and the doctor’s record may make him/her skeptical about his or her assessment and recommendations.

If for some reason, your case goes to court, the defense lawyers will exploit any possible weakness in your case. They may attempt to show that you used a doctor that typically works with personal injury lawyers and potentially paint the relationship in a negative light.

Get the Appropriate Treatment

Go to your personal doctor and get as much treatment as is recommended by your doctor. Treatment is not only in your best interest but in the defendant’s best interest as well. Proper treatment will help you heal and the more valid treatment needed, potentially the more you’re able to claim for personal injury damages. Proper treatment can help the defendant because if not properly treated, your injuries can be exacerbated costing the defendant more in the long run. Proper treatment is a benefit for both you and the defendant.

Contact us if you been injured in an accident, we can help. Call us at (866) 642-5604 or complete our quick contact web form for a free consultation.

Our Company Blog helps accident victims and their families receive helpful information about receiving fair compensation and the personal injury legal process.

We’re also providing visitors a conduit to easily communicate with our legal staff. Please leave comments or ask questions about personal injury legal issues and our team will do our best to quickly answer your questions.

We’re  looking forward to being able to assist you in your time of need.

Best Regards,

Pulvers, Pulvers & Thompson LLC