Category : Medical Malpractice

How Common Are They and How Do They Start? Pressure ulcers, also known as pressure sores, are one of the most common side effects of long-term care around the world, affecting about 8.4 percent of hospital patients specifically. In the United States, around 2.5 million people get pressure ulcers every year.  According to that math, at any given time,  one in every 13 long-term care patients is suffering from a pressure ulcer. They rarely form...

St. Petersburg, FL (March 24, 2020) – On March 1, 2020, runner Justin Doyle collapsed on the Skyway bridge during a 10K marathon. Bystanders rushed to help Doyle and called out to two emergency vehicles within sight. However, the 48-year-old runner failed to receive the medical attention that he needed due to confusion between the emergency crews. According to St. Petersburg Fire and Rescue Lt. Steven Lawrence, both crews through the other had already sent...

What kills more Americans than heart disease and cancer? The answer may surprise you: medical errors by doctors, nurses, and other hospital workers. Medical Errors Kill Between 250,000 and 400,000 Americans died because of medical mistakes in only one year, according to a study published by Johns Hopkins University. Those numbers make medical mistakes the third leading cause of death in the US. Doctors’ most common mistake is misdiagnosing a patient’s illness. Twelve million people...

Medical malpractice cases encompass a wide range of behavior by a medical professional resulting in serious injury or death. While most doctors, nurses and other healthcare providers make few mistakes, medical errors can have devastating consequences when they do occur. In order to prove medical malpractice, an injured party must establish that the medical professional negligently deviated from the prevailing standard of care in their care or treatment of their patient. Failure to Diagnosis, Incorrect...

Patients seek medical care from their physicians in order to have a problem treated and hopefully cured. When a patient receives a misdiagnosis, negative impacts can snowball. In fact, diagnostic error is becoming the most prevalent medical malpractice issue in the United States. What Is a Diagnostic Error? Diagnostic error is the misdiagnosis or the delay of an accurate diagnosis. Failure to diagnose puts the patient at risk for developing complications for inadequate and inaccurate...

When emergency medical care is needed, patients rely on the skill and attention of the emergency department of the hospital. Medical problems can be made worse if medical malpractice occurs. Though first responders, such as paramedics, ambulance crews, EMTs, and firefighters, are generally exempt from medical malpractice liability, the emergency room staff is not similarly protected. In fact, emergency room staff operates under the same protection as the other medical staff in the hospital. What...

Becoming the victim of your doctor’s negligence is painful and devastating, both physically and financially. Unfortunately, serious errors are not uncommon. Each year, upward of 20,000 patients file lawsuits against their doctors. At any given moment, one in 14 American doctors faces a medical malpractice lawsuit from a patient. Malpractice lawsuits generally stem from one of a handful of reasons. A recent studyof cases from around the world by the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland Medical School and...

Every year, hundreds of thousands of patients fall victim to medical malpractice. While errors in diagnosis and treatment are ultimately the responsibility of the practitioner, it is also incumbent upon patients to be informed consumers and take charge of their health care. Negligence on the part of your health care provider can lead to costly, painful and even fatal consequences. That is why, as the patient, it is crucial you take certain important steps to help...

Medical malpractice can lead to severe, debilitating conditions or even death. Fortunately, cases of medical professional error are in the minority, but enough occur to lead many patients each year to seek medical malpractice attorneys. But what exactly is medical malpractice? Is a simple mistake considered medical malpractice? The first part of the following checklist will help you determine whether you might have a valid case of medical malpractice or simply a common medical error....