You love your doctor.
You adore him.
You admire him.
He's smart.
He's charming.
He knows his stuff.
He's always done right by you and your family.
Except when he didn't.
Except when he dropped the ball.
Except when he was careless on one visit.
He failed to diagnose your condition.
A condition that was diagnosed later as cancer.
You're now upset.
You're angry.
You're furious.
You've learned that if your doctor had detected the problem when you first complained of it, you could have started cancer treatment.
Your doctors have told you the cancer was in it's earliest stage at that point.
They've told you the cancer was fully treatable at that point.
Now, it's too far gone.
Now, it's spread.
It's metastacized through your body.
You now have Stage IV cancer.
It's terminal.
You're devastated.
Your new doctors give you only six months to live.
You're outraged.
You want blood.
You want justice.
How could this happen?
How could your doctor let this happen?
You had so many more years to give.
To your family.
To your kids.
To your work.
While visiting with your cancer doctor, your oncologist, you tell him of your fears.
You tell him of your anger.
You tell him how upset you are that your first doctor failed to recognize this and do anything about it.
In a conspiratorial way, your oncologist closes the door.
He sits down and tells you that in his 30 year career, he's never seen such blatant malpractice.
He says it was obvious.
He just needed to look.
Had he looked, he'd have seen it.
If he did look and didn't see it, it's even worse!
That means he's totally incompetent.
You now get the sense that this entire scenario was preventable.
You begin to understand that your original doctor, the one whom you trusted, violated the basic standards of medical care.
But you've also heard that doctors don't like pointing fingers at other doctors.
You've heard that doctors don't like testifying against their colleagues.
You ask your oncologist what to do.
He tells you to hire the best medical malpractice lawyer you can find in New York.
He tells you that your family will thank you after you're gone for suing your original doctor.
He also tells you that he will gladly work with and speak to your attorney to confirm your case has merit.
What he doesn't tell you is that's as far as he's willing to go for you.
What he doesn't tell you is that he will not testify for you at trial.
What he also doesn't tell you is why he is telling you this.
Does he have some ulterior motive?
Does he know your first doctor?
Did your first doctor disrespect your oncologist at some time in the past?
Is there a personal grudge match going on between these doctors?
Obviously, if the two do not know each other, that's better for your case.
If there is some past connection between the two, you and your attorney better learn what it is quickly to see whether you're getting the real deal or simply playing to the doctor's hidden agenda.
Maybe your doctor is altruistic.
Maybe he feels bad for your situation.
Maybe he wants to look like the hero.
There could be many reasons that would motivate one doctor to tell you that your original doctor screwed up.
In order to do your due dilligence, your attorney will need to make sure that what your oncologist is saying is true.
Once he confirms that your doctor violated the basic standards of medical care and his carelessness caused you injury, you now have the ability to start your lawsuit.
