Valleywide Legal Blog

The Impaired Physician

Doctors are only human.  They are prey to the same frailties that plague the rest of us.  Like the rest of us, some of them become addicted to alcohol or use narcotics or other substances that can affect their judgment … Read More

Posted in Arizona Medical Board, disclosure of medical mistakes, Doctors, health, Hospitals, medical errors, medical ethics, Medical Malpractice, medical mistakes, Medical Negligence, Nurses, Secrecy |

Medical Tourism – Almost Always A Bad Idea

As you can probably guess, medical tourism is the name given to the practice of going to a foreign country for medical treatment, usually because it is cheaper there.  One of the most common treatments sought by medical tourists is … Read More

Posted in antibiotic resistant bacteria, blood infections, Doctors, Health Care Costs, Medical Costs, Medical Devices, medical errors, meningitis, Pharmacies, Plastic Surgery, science news |

Hospital Secrecy Hurts Us All

Hospitals are complex business and healthcare organizations.  In large hospitals in metropolitan areas, there are teams of healthcare providers working around the clock and communicating with each other through the patient’s medical chart.  The wonder is not that errors in … Read More

Posted in disclosure of medical mistakes, Doctors, electronic medical records, Fee for Service, Health Care Costs, Hospital Negligence, Hospitals, Lawsuits, medical charts, medical errors, Medical Malpractice, medical mistakes, never events, Nurses, Secrecy |

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 |

State Medical Boards Are Not Protecting The Public

In October I discussed the case of Dr. Christopher Dunstch, a Texas neurosurgeon, who was so incompetent that he injured or killed 33 of the 37 patients upon whom he performed spine surgery.  One of the surgeons who was called … Read More

Posted in Arizona Medical Board, Doctors, Hospitals, medical errors, Medical Malpractice, medical mistakes, Secrecy |

Emergency Rooms Can Be Hazardous To Your Child’s Health

When your child has an emergency condition and needs treatment right now, you don’t have time to research the local emergency rooms to find those which are experienced with and ready to handle pediatric emergencies.  Even if you know that … Read More

Posted in disclosure of medical mistakes, Doctors, Hospital Negligence, Hospitals, medical errors, medical ethics, Medication Errors, Misdiagnosis, Secrecy |

Hospital Puts Money and Prestige Ahead of Patients

Catholic Medical Center in Manchester, New Hampshire had a problem.  Its star cardiothoracic surgeon was killing people.  What to do?  It could protect patients or it could protect itself and its star surgeon.  Perhaps unsurprisingly, it chose the money and … Read More

Posted in disclosure of medical mistakes, Doctors, Hospital Negligence, Hospitals, Lawsuits, medical errors, medical ethics, Medical Malpractice, Medical Negligence, Secrecy, Surgical Errors |

The Medical Profession’s Dirty Little Secret

The medical profession in the United States is highly respected and highly compensated.  Members of the profession pride themselves on adhering to a Code of Ethics, in which the needs of the patient are paramount and those of the doctor … Read More

Posted in disclosure of medical mistakes, Doctors, Lawsuits, Malpractice caps, medical errors, medical ethics, tort reform |

Where Are All The Malpractice Suits?

Study after study has shown that medical malpractice is a leading cause of deaths and injuries in the United States.  Some estimates place the number of annual deaths attributable to preventable medical errors at over 250,000.  This would make medical … Read More

Posted in arizona certified personal injury lawyers, Doctors, Finding a Medical Malpractice Lawyer, Hospitals, Lawsuits, Malpractice caps, Malpractice costs, medical errors, Medical Malpractice, medical malpractice damages caps, medical malpractice lawsuits, medical malpractice lawyers, medical mistakes, Medical Negligence, plaintiff, tort reform, trial, Valuing Damages in Medical Malpractice Cases |

A Complete and Total Failure – Part Three

The final betrayal of the public, and specifically the victims of Dr. Christopher Duntsch, aka Dr. Death, actually took place years before his surgical rampage through the Dallas area.  In 2003, the Texas legislature, responding to what it claimed was … Read More

Posted in disclosure of medical mistakes, Doctors, Finding a Medical Malpractice Lawyer, Health Care Costs, Hospitals, Lawsuits, Malpractice caps, Malpractice costs, Medical Costs, medical errors, medical ethics, Medical Malpractice, medical malpractice damages caps, medical mistakes, Medical Negligence, plaintiff, Secrecy, tort reform |