Valleywide Legal Blog

When Hospitals Choose Your Doctor For You

I have often written about the importance of doing some homework when choosing a new doctor.  There are a lot of resources out there and it is foolish not to take advantage of them.  A poorly-qualified doctor, or one who … Read More

Posted in Doctors, Fee for Service, Hospitals, Informed Consent, Lawsuits, medical errors, medical ethics, Medical Malpractice, medical malpractice claims, medical mistakes, Secrecy |

Do I Really Need That Surgery?

Many patients have wondered what to do when the surgeon tells them they need surgery.  One thing you should not do is just say, “OK” without first asking some questions. Of course, not all surgeries are the same.  Some are … Read More

Posted in Doctors, General Health, healthy living, Hospitals, Infection, Informed Consent, medical ethics, medical mistakes, Surgical Errors |

A Large Malpractice Award Was Justified.

Large awards for medical malpractice are not nearly as common as the medical profession and its insurers would have you believe.  Juries are reluctant to hold doctors responsible for injuring patients.  They don’t want to believe that doctors make mistakes … Read More

Posted in Doctors, Informed Consent, Lawsuits, Malpractice caps, medical errors, medical ethics, Medical Malpractice, Medical Malpractice Case Value, medical malpractice cases, medical malpractice damages caps, medical malpractice lawsuits, medical mistakes, Medical Negligence, Surgical Errors, trial, Verdicts |

Just Fill Out These Forms – Hospital Edition.

If there was ever a situation of more uneven bargaining power than being asked to fill out hospital forms while lying on a gurney in the emergency department, I cannot think what it could be.  And yet that is precisely … Read More

Posted in Doctors, Hospital Negligence, Hospitals, Informed Consent, Lawsuits, medical errors, Medical Malpractice, medical mistakes, Nurses |

What You Want To Know Before They Operate.

You have been referred to a surgeon and she has advised you that you need surgery.  What now?  There are certain steps you should always take when this happens. What happens if I don’t get the surgery? This is always … Read More

Posted in Doctors, Hospital Negligence, Hospitals, Infection, Informed Consent, medical errors, medical ethics, Medical Malpractice, Medicare, Nurses |

Murder, Malpractice or Compassionate Care?

A 46 year old critical care specialist is on trial in Ohio.  He is accused of deliberately overdosing critically ill patients with fatal amounts of the potent painkiller, Fentanyl.  He was originally charged with 25 deaths but the court threw … Read More

Posted in Doctors, Hospitals, Informed Consent, medical errors, medical ethics, Medical Malpractice, medical mistakes, Medical Negligence, Medication Errors, Secrecy |

Practice Makes Perfect

“Practice makes perfect.”  How often have we heard that old bromide?  Perhaps the main reason it has lasted so long is that there is a lot of truth to it.  There certainly is when the subject is medical procedures. When … Read More

Posted in Doctors, Hip Replacement, Hospital Negligence, Hospitals, Informed Consent, medical errors, Nurses, Surgical Errors |

The Role of Causation in Medical Malpractice Cases

Last week I wrote about the standard of care.  Standard of care is the first element a patient must prove to win a medical malpractice case.  The second element of proof is that the breach of the standard of care … Read More

Posted in Autopsy, Blood Clots, Cancer, Doctors, heart attack, Hospital Negligence, Hospitals, Informed Consent, Lawsuits, Lung Cancer, medical errors, Medical Malpractice, medical malpractice cases, medical malpractice lawyers, medical mistakes, Medical Negligence, Misdiagnosis, plaintiff, Surgical Errors, trial |

Informed Consent.

The requirement for informed consent means that a doctor may not perform a procedure on you without first explaining the risks and benefits of the procedure and getting your approval to go forward.  Informed consent is a critical part of … Read More

Posted in Doctors, Fee for Service, Hospitals, Informed Consent, medical ethics, Medical Malpractice, medical malpractice lawsuits, Nurses |

Caesarian Sections

The Caesarian section can be a life saver for both the mother and her baby.  There are a number of conditions which can develop during pregnancy or during the delivery process which require that the baby be delivered by C-section.  … Read More

Posted in Birth Injuries, Cesarean Section, Fee for Service, Health Care Costs, Infection, Informed Consent, Sepsis |