Lawrence Schlachter was a brain surgeon until a hand injury sent him on a new path: medical malpractice lawyer. His book, “Malpractice”, provides an insider’s account of how the culture of medicine is failing patients by encouraging doctors to circle the wagons and protect each other in the face of medical error. He argues that patients are the ones who…
It’s devastating to learn that a loved one has been abused or neglected in a nursing home setting. But now imagine that when you try to sue the nursing home, you’re told you can’t because you signed a contract that included an arbitration clause. This may sound like a grievous injustice but it’s happening According to an investigation by The…
Cerebral palsy is a condition that arises from a brain injury acquired at an early age, sometimes when a baby suffers a lack of oxygen to the brain known as hypoxia. In some cases, hypoxia happens because of medical negligence during the birthing process, and may result in a medical malpractice lawsuit. Cerebral palsy can cause a spectrum of motor…
A recent report published by Medscape describes the results of a poll of more than 4,000 physicians about their experiences being sued for medical malpractice. The poll showed that Ob/Gyn doctors are more likely than any other type of physician to be sued (85 percent), followed by general surgeons (83 percent) and orthopedists (79 percent). According to the report, the most…
If you’re injured on the job and your workers’ compensation claim is accepted, this means your employer’s insurance will pay for medical treatments that have been approved by a physician. This likely will include standard Western medical diagnostic tests, and treatments including prescription medications. But what if you’re someone who prefers alternative medical therapies? If you’re allowed to choose your…
As anyone who has driven during a storm well understands, inclement weather can create hazardous driving conditions. Snow, rain, sleet and fog can reduce visibility and create slick driving conditions that make it easier to lose control of a car. One element that people can overlook as a driving hazard, however, is wind. Wind is particularly dangerous for trucks, as…
A Portland-area couple sued Legacy Emmanuel Medical Center in 2015 for $36 million, stating that the medical center failed to warn them of the dangers of water birthing. The couple claimed that the medical center had failed to deliver the child properly, and had failed to provide an emergency C-section when needed. The lawsuit also accused the medical center of…
ProPublica, a non-profit news organization focusing on stories in the public interest, has published the results of a patient harm questionnaire. The questionnaire includes stories from 1,000 people from all 50 states, revealing details of harm they suffered as a result of medical negligence in the U.S. The questionnaire revealed patterns in the experiences of patients who had been injured…
When a baby fails to receive adequate oxygen during (or even before) the birthing process, this is known as hypoxia, and it can have devastating and permanent health effects, including brain damage and cerebral palsy. There are a number of conditions and situations that can lead to hypoxia, including infection, shoulder dystocia (when the baby’s shoulder gets stuck during birth,…