FDA Exemption for Medical Device Defects is Harming Patients and Thwarting Doctors
Most doctors and the public think that the FDA’s database on defective medical devices should be current and complete. If a product malfunctions, the reasonable expectation is that the doctor can research the device to learn what complaints have been filed and whether it is safe for future surgeries. What doctors also expect is that…
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 MoreCatastrophic Truck Collision Presents More Difficulties Than A Traditional Collision
Tractor trailers have sometimes been referred to as “trains on wheels.” They are large; they are fast; and they pose an extremely hazardous risk to those on the road. Sadly, this week a horrendous collision was caught on film, and demonstrates the destruction that these vehicles can cause. While this collision may appear to…
Read MoreNew Law Makes It Easier to Sue for E-Scooter Injuries in Washington, DC
Electric scooters are known to be a danger to riders and pedestrians. Many teens and young adults ride them on the sidewalks where they can hurt pedestrians. When e-scooters strike a car, the scooter offers no protection to the rider. There have been instances where the brakes and throttles have malfunctioned. Hitting a bump can…
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 MoreAmbulance Diversion and the Problem of Hospital Overcrowding
In August 2014, Tiffany Tate was working in the Medical College of Wisconsin cafeteria at a Milwaukee hospital when she suffered a stroke. At that moment she was only a few hundred yards away from Froedtert Hospital’s emergency department which includes a premier stroke center. However, she was not transported there due to the fact…
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 MoreNew Investigation Asserts Johnson & Johnson Knew Its Baby Powder Contained Cancer-Causing Asbestos
Baby Powder has been a staple in most American households since late 1800s. We use to soothe babies’ bottoms, to freshen our shoes, and for a hundred different reasons. Baby Powder is made of talc, a naturally occurring mineral known for its absorption. For the last few years, pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson has been…
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 Malpractice for Failure to Diagnose Septic Arthritis
Septic arthritis is an infection in a joint which, if not caught and treated right away, can have devastating consequences. When a patient presents with a fever and swollen, red, painful joints, septic arthritis should be one of the first conditions that comes to mind. Even if the medical professional does not think it could…
Read MoreHas Your Doctor Been Banned from Practicing Medicine in Another State?
If you sustain a serious injury from your doctor or another medical professional and you file a lawsuit against them, you may recover a settlement. But what happens to the doctors? Are they allowed to continue practicing medicine? What does it take to get a doctor banned from practicing medicine in your state? How can…
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 MoreSurgeons Remove a Lot of Functioning Kidneys
Surgical errors accounted for about 22% of medical malpractice claims last year in the United States according to a major medical malpractice services provider. A number of those errors, it appears, involve the kidneys. An Iowa woman, Dena Knapp, is suing her surgeon, Dr. Scott Baker, after he allegedly removed her kidney, when he was…
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 MoreFarxiga and Jardiance Linked to Limb Loss and a Rare, Flesh-Eating Genital Infection
According to a new observational study published in the BMJ in the November 2018 issue, a class of type 2 diabetes medications called sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors has been associated with twice the risk of lower limb amputations compared with other type 2 diabetes medications. The BMJ study reports that SGLT2 inhibitors are associated with…
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 MoreCertain Drugs Given to ICU Patients May Extend Their Recovery Time
New research has revealed how certain drugs provided to patients in intensive care unit (ICU) settings may, instead of shortening recovery time after hospital discharge, actually lengthen that time and prolong muscular weakness. A recent study published in the online journal CHEST closely examined the impact of particular drugs administered to patients on medical ventilation.…
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 MoreThe Most Dangerous Birth Injuries Requiring Urgent Medical Intervention
Any physical harm an infant suffers as he or she is in the process of being born is referred to as a birth injury. Damage that occurs to the mother during birth may also fall under this term, but less commonly. A birth injury is distinct from a birth defect which originates or grows while…
Read MoreFailure to Diagnose and Misdiagnoses of a Spinal Cord Abscess
Medical malpractice doesn’t just mean instances like when a surgeon makes a mistake during surgery. Medical negligence can also include times when a doctor fails to diagnose (or misdiagnose) a condition completely. Errors like these often lead to tragedy and catastrophic injuries. A spinal cord abscess (SCA), sometimes called an epidural abscess, is an infection…
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