Valleywide Legal Blog

Settlement for Birth Injury: Oxygen Starvation

$8.5M settlement for baby who was brain damaged when nurses and doctor failed to respond to evidence of oxygen starvation during birth process. http://www.nj.com/news/jjournal/bayonne/index.ssf?/base/news-6/130094793160280.xml&coll=3

Posted in Uncategorized |

Changes to malpractice liability laws do not result in the promised cost savings and have ignored the effect on patient safety.

The purpose of our tort system as it relates to medical care is to provide compensation to those injured through the fault of others.  It is intended that through this mechanism, there will be an incentive for the health care … Read More

Posted in Doctors, Hospitals, Nurses |

Infections revisited.

Recently I wrote about infections and hand washing.  Infections are a major problem in hospitals.  According to The New York Times, two million patients in America acquire an infection in the hospital every year and about one in twenty of … Read More

Posted in Doctors, Hospitals, Nurses |

WSJ Survey of Nurses Reveals Causes of Patient Injury

The Wall Street Journal reports on a survey of hospital nurses showing communication errors, medical shortcuts, incompetence and disrespect lead to patient injuries or near misses. http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2011/03/22/report-communication-breakdown-leads-to-hospital-errors/tab/print/

Posted in Hospitals, Nurses |

Medical Boards Sometimes Fail to Discipline Doctors

Consumer advocacy group, Public Citizen, reports that state medical boards often fail to take action against doctors who have been disciplined by the hospitals at which they practice. Many of the doctors getting off with no discipline by the state … Read More

Posted in Doctors |

Good Hygiene in Hospitals is the Best Defense

Infections kill.  Hospitals are hotbeds of infection.  After all, that is where sick people are.  The best defense against infection is good hygiene.  In this article, Maureen Dowd of the New York Times recounts the loss of her brother after … Read More

Posted in Uncategorized |