Posts by Christopher Nace
Some of the Many Federal Laws that Apply to Physicians and the Medical Practice
There are many federal laws that physicians and those who work in the medical profession must know. Failure to comply with these laws may be a sign of negligence if a patient was injured while under the care of a physician, hospital, managed care provider, or other health care professional. We wanted to take a…
Read MoreNace Law Group Attorneys Named to Best Lawyers in America
Nace Law Group is pleased to announce that Barry J. Nace, Christopher T. Nace, and Matthew A. Nace have all been recognized in this year’s edition of Best Lawyers in America. Best Lawyers in America is one of the most esteemed publications in the country. It recognizes the best lawyers in every practice area by…
Read MoreAllergan Breast Implant Recall Issued Due to Cancer Risk
CNN reported on July 25, 2019, that Allergan “issued a worldwide recall of Biocell textured breast implants and tissue expanders that have been linked to a rare cancer. The move came after the US Food and Drug Administration requested the manufacturer voluntarily recall the products.” Allergan claimed the recall was in response to global information…
Read MoreSuing for Failure to Diagnose Cancer
Cases that involve a failure to diagnose cancer can include various forms of negligence. In some cases, a doctor may fail to conduct the tests necessary to detect cancer such as a biopsy or mammogram. In other instances, a pathologist or radiologist may act negligently by mishandling the patient’s medical file. For example, a radiologist…
Read MoreWhy Using a Surgical Checklist Helps Doctors Provide Better and Safer Treatments
Harvard Business Review (HBR) recently profiled how surgical checklists are making a difference in reducing mistakes and improving medical outcomes. The HBR report profiled a surgical team at a South Carolina medical facility which reduced its mortality rate by a third, increased productivity, and saved more than $4 million a year since instituting the use…
Read MoreCan a Judge’s Ruling on Stem Cell Treatments Really Put a Stop to Them?
In 2015, a Miami woman with macular degeneration, an incurable disease leading to permanent vision loss, visited a clinic which promised the extraordinary: a treatment designed to slow down, or even stop, the progression of the disease. The treatment would use stem cells from the patient’s own belly fat. Instead of gaining her vision back,…
Read MoreElectronic Health Records and Medical Malpractice Claims
In May 2019, Medical Economics reported that there is a rise in medical liability claims involving electronic heath records (EHR). An EHR system should help keep patients’ information current and readily accessible, thus helping to avoid mistakes. While these databases have numerous benefits, electronic health record systems only work as well as the software that…
Read MoreDelivery Room Dangers: Unnecessary Episiotomy Procedures
A major USA TODAY study found that hospitals are performing much too may episiotomies despite nationwide guidelines that call for the procedure to only be used in the case of emergencies. Since 2006, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has advised performing the procedure sparingly. “Mothers who receive episiotomies – an incision at the…
Read MoreWhy Do So Many Wrong-Site Surgeries Occur?
It seems simple enough: take diagnostic images and an oral history. Conduct a physical exam. Read the reports of the treating doctors and nurses. There shouldn’t be any reason then for operating on the wrong part of someone’s body, removing an incorrect organ, or even operating on the wrong patient. And yet, this particularly egregious…
Read MoreWashington, DC Area Hospitals Are Failing to Prevent Infections
It is no secret that the hospitals in D.C. need some work. According to Hospital Safety Grade, an initiative launched by the nonprofit Leapfrog Group, out of the six hospitals located in Washington, D.C. proper, half have earned a “D” rating. The hospitals were evaluated in the following categories: Infections Problems with surgery Practice to…
Read MoreNew Study Reveals Many Veterans Are Suffering Spinal Surgery Errors
A recent study by Clinical Spine Surgery disclosed an alarming and tragic finding. VA surgeons, all too often, are operating on the wrong part of the spines of our veterans. This study revealed that the major causes for this inexcusable type of medical malpractice were mistakes in standard imaging studies. Common errors include mistakes when…
Read MoreMedical Malpractice and Older Patients
As we age, we spend more time with doctors. Maybe we need blood pressure medication. Perhaps we’ll develop arthritis in our fingers. Maybe there’s an increased risk of cancer, or stroke, or any of the many, many conditions and illnesses that seem to affect the elderly population a bit more. We have every right to…
Read MorePregnancy Complications Increase Depending on the Time of Delivery
The New York Times reported recently reported on a Risk Analysis study which showed that maternal delivery difficulties increase on weekends, at nights, and during the holidays. The study analyzed pregnancy complications in Texas, from 2005 to 2010. More than two million births occurred in that time period. Per the Times, the study specifically reviews…
Read MoreHospitals Are Now Required to Post Price Lists Online
As consumers, we routinely compare prices online for various types of products and services, whether it’s a pair of shoes, a car, a hotel room, or a flight to or from Washington D.C or West Virginia. However, up until now (and some argue even now) it has been difficult if not impossible to find prices…
Read MoreGoogle Forced to Remove “Blacklist” of Doctors on the Internet
A court in the country of Amsterdam has issued a ruling that directs Google to remove a list of unofficially “blacklisted” doctors from a discussion group online. The case is noted as the first involving the legal concept of “right to be forgotten” that pertains to the alleged medical negligence of a doctor. The judgment…
Read MorePlastic Surgeons Are Committing Medical Malpractice All Over the Country
There are a lot of stories out there (and you have probably heard a few in your time) about horrific plastic surgeries gone wrong. It makes a popular theme for movies and TV shows, and stories about bad surgical procedures tend to make the news. Often, these stories involve some rogue doctor using dangerous drugs…
Read MoreMedical Negligence Claims for Injuries in Rehabilitation Centers
After undergoing surgery, or recovering from an injury, patients may be prescribed a stay at a rehabilitation hospital so that their recovery can be supervised, and their medical needs attended to. You trust that these types of facilities are staffed with competent, well-trained people who have the patients’ needs in mind. Sometimes, however, this is…
Read MoreHypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy Birth Injuries
Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy is a form of perinatal asphyxia, which is caused by systemic hypoxemia and/or reduced cerebral blood flow, according to Medscape.com. HIE is the cause of 840,000, or 23%, of all neonatal deaths worldwide. When labor is prolonged, the baby spends too much time in the birth canal with restricted blood flow and raised…
Read MoreConsumer Protection for Student Loan Borrowers
Second only to mortgage debt, student loan debt is the second highest consumer debt category, and it’s even higher than both credit card debt and car loans according to Forbes.com. About 44 million borrowers collectively owe more than $1.52 trillion in student debt in the United States across all demographics and age groups. The Federal…
Read MoreAre African Americans Being Excluded from Clinical Trials?
An expose published in Stat magazine with data from ProPublica reveals the dearth of African American patients in clinical trials for breakthrough cancer drugs. However, it is not just clinical trials for cancer drugs which seem to exclude black patients. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) conducted a…
Read MoreAttorney Barry Nace Speaks at NBTA About the Federal Tort Claims Act
Barry Nace, founding partner at Nace Law Group, spoke at the National Board of Trial Advocacy (NBTA) November 2018 All Star Conference. NBTA is an organization operating under the auspices of the American Bar Association with authority to grant Board Certification in various legal areas. An attorney must pass a rigorous test, receive support from…
Read MoreUnnecessary Heart Stents Can Put Patients at Risk
Many individuals who experience chest pains, shortness of breath, or other health concerns contact their doctor and discover that their heart is not receiving a proper flow of blood. Lack of blood flow and oxygen to the heart creates the symptom of chest pain. This condition is known as angina. The commonly accepted way to…
Read MoreDispelling the Myth of the Frivolous Lawsuit
There is a pervasive – and dangerous – belief in America that our court system is clogged with unnecessary, “frivolous” lawsuits. This myth is the reason we so often see our civil justice system under attack by politicians, political action groups, and even some journalists. The truth is, civil lawsuits are at an all-time low.…
Read MoreEpinephrine for Cardiac Arrest Patients Also Causing Brain Damage
For many decades, paramedics have treated urgent cardiac arrest victims with adrenaline to prevent their death. However, newly released information is suggesting that the drug used by these medical professionals when cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and electric shocks failed to work, only improves the chance of preventing death by a slim margin, but at the same…
Read MoreSurgery Centers Not Required to Report Serious Injuries and Deaths in 17 States
Regardless of whether you have a surgical procedure done at a surgery center or hospital, you expect those in charge of your surgery to provide the same level of competency and safe care before, during, and after surgery. However, the statistics are revealing significant inadequacies when it comes to the resources and oversight associated with…
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