Are Hospitals Performing Unnecessary Medical Procedures on Patients?
Thousands of patients are exposed to unnecessary medical procedures every year in the United States. According to the National Practitioner Database, since 2005, more than 1,000 doctors have attempted to settle medical malpractice claims brought against them for surgical errors. Recently, high profile cases of unnecessary surgeries have made national news. Former patients and surviving… Read more »
Posted in Surgical Errors
Can More Be Done to Prevent Medication Errors?
With more Americans than ever using smartphones, several qualified parties have developed apps that can help patients identify and learn about the medications they are taking. Former physicians and the federal government are among these groups attempting to create a safer means for taking medications. The National Institutes of Health is working on an app… Read more »
Posted in Medication Errors
Can Cerebral Palsy Be Caused By Medical Malpractice During Birth?
A mother in Oregon recently filed a lawsuit against Silverton Hospital for $40 million in economic and noneconomic damages after her newborn was deprived of oxygen and eventually diagnosed with cerebral palsy. In 2007, the Oregon mom arrived at Silverton Hospital 15 days overdue. She was given drugs to induce labor, but they had no… Read more »
Posted in Birth Injury
Has Accidental Overdose Become a Leading Cause of Death In the United States?
Pill mills have been a serious problem in Florida, leading to tens of thousands of accidental overdoses on dangerous opiate medications. Florida is not the only state that has an issue with overprescribing pain pills, as a recent grand jury indictment of a Kentucky doctor shows. After five patients died of accidental overdose from medications… Read more »
Posted in Medication Errors
Are Doctors Taking Extra Caution to Avoid Misdiagnosis Deaths?
Researchers from Northwestern University in Chicago have analyzed the responses of over 1,000 neurosurgeons to a survey on defensive medicine. Defensive medicine is the practice of ordering imaging and laboratory tests to avoid potential malpractice lawsuits. Doctors order extra medications and procedures to make sure they do not miss anything that may lead to a… Read more »
Posted in Misdiagnosis
Are Cruise Ship Doctors Liable for Negligent Actions?
Late last year we blogged about Franza v. Royal Caribbean Cruises, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals and their historic ruling striking down the dated precedents set by the 1988 decision of Barbetta v. S/S Bermuda Star. The old “Barbetta rule” exonerated cruise lines from responsibility in the event of medical malpractice by the onboard… Read more »
Posted in Medical Malpractice Trial
What is EZ Doctor?
When you buy a used car, you can check its Carfax report to see its history. When you sign up for a college class, you can check sites like RateMyProfessor and MyEDU to see what the professors and workload will be like. And yet, there has not been a similar, popular service for vetting doctors…. Read more »
Posted in Medical Malpractice
What Is Informed Consent?
When a patient undergoes a medical procedure or begins taking medication, the doctor has a responsibility to the patient to disclose potential risks associated with the treatment. This process is known as “informed consent,” and is an integral component of any doctor-patient relationship. Consent often comes in the form of a signed document, but a… Read more »
Posted in Medical Malpractice
Can You Sue for Malpractice If a Doctor Holds You Against Your Will?
A Florida man’s 19-year imprisonment in a Nebraska mental hospital has resulted in a lawsuit against his doctors, who the man claims kept him locked up under the false pretense that he was mentally ill. His treatment team decided in 2013 that the incident that led to his long-term treatment happened during a medication-induced psychosis…. Read more »
Posted in Medical Malpractice
Can a Medication-Related Suicide Be Considered Malpractice?
A 24-year-old Marine veteran in Florida’s Broward County committed suicide by drug overdose after being unable to cope with a breakup, a dying dog and his lack of direction following his service in the Marines. His family blamed the suicide on the medications he received from the Veterans Association Outpatient Clinic, where he was treated… Read more »
Posted in Medication Errors
