Advances in medical technology have made it possible to diagnose and treat medical conditions that at one time were not readily identifiable. The advances made quicker, more accurate diagnoses possible. Unfortunately, some medical professionals do not always follow the proper protocol. The resulting diagnosis errors can lead to improper treatment, delayed treatment, or no treatment at all. A patient’s condition [...]
Having your medical records can prove beneficial in a number of situations: You are changing doctors You are undergoing treatment that involves numerous doctors and specialists You are compiling family medical history You want to ensure continuity of care You want to make sure that your medical records are accurate and complete Medical Malpractice Medical records may be helpful [...]
A 32-year-old patient visits a primary care clinic complaining of bloating. A CT scan of her abdomen reveals two masses with strings attached to them. The objects turned out to be two gauze sponges left inside of her after two routine procedures. One was six years earlier, the other nine years earlier. The sponges had become attached to the patient’s [...]
Challenges abound in every area of the law, requiring specialized knowledge of the law and of the court system. Without a qualified attorney to provide that knowledge, one can get lost in a maze of complex procedures and Latin legal terms. Ad litem. Respondeat superior. Quantum meruit. In articulo mortis. Res ipsa loquitur. Quid pro quo. Ad damnum. Pro se. [...]
“The unwarranted departure from generally accepted standards of medical practice resulting in injury to a patient, including all liability-producing conduct arising from the rendition of professional medical services.” That’s how the Pennsylvania Supreme Court defined medical malpractice. If it sounds complicated, that’s because it is. Medical malpractice law is one the most complex legal practice areas. Medical malpractice occurs when [...]
For nearly a year, a 48-year-old woman experienced recurrent lower urinary symptoms. The symptoms first appeared a few weeks after she had an abdominal hysterectomy. A scan revealed a surgical towel and a pair of hemostats inside of the patient. These items led to a fistulous connection between the ileum and the dome of the urinary bladder. The recurrent urinary [...]
Every year, an estimated 7.5 million unnecessary medical and surgical procedures are performed in the United States. Hundreds of thousands of people are put at risk. Unnecessary surgery is defined as “surgical intervention that is either not needed, not indicated, or not in the patient's best interest when weighed against other available options, including conservative measures”. Depending on the circumstances, [...]
Every year more than 4,000 people who undergo surgery are injured from a surgical error. These preventable mistakes are known as “never events” – shocking errors that should never have happened (e.g., amputating the wrong leg of a patient.) Common surgical errors The most common errors include: Performing surgery on the wrong patient Performing the wrong procedure Performing surgery on [...]
According to researchers at Johns Hopkins University, more than 250,000 people in the U.S. die every year from medical errors. Medical errors can also give rise to a medical malpractice lawsuit. Examples of medical malpractice include (but are not limited to): delayed diagnosis misdiagnosis or failure to diagnose a medical condition mistreatment or failure to treat a medical condition failure to order [...]