Valleywide Legal Blog

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 |

The Defensive Medicine Scam

One of the complaints doctors often make is that the existence of so many frivolous medical malpractice suits forces them to practice defensive medicine.  By this they mean that the worry of a potential lawsuit makes them order tests or … Read More

Posted in Defensive Medicine, Doctors, Fee for Service, Lawsuits, medical ethics, Medical Malpractice, trial |

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 |

A Complete and Total Failure – Part Two

This is the second part of my discussion of the system failures that allowed Dr. Christopher Duntsch to become a Dallas area neurosurgeon and to damage patient after patient. Having resigned his staff privileges with his first hospital after negotiating … Read More

Posted in disclosure of medical mistakes, Doctors, Hospital Negligence, Hospitals, Lawsuits, medical errors, medical ethics, Medical Malpractice, medical mistakes, never events, plaintiff, Secrecy, Surgical Errors, tort reform |

A Complete and Total Failure – Part One

I recently finished listening to a podcast about a Texas neurosurgeon, who was so incompetent and injured so many people that he is now serving a life term for elder abuse and assault as a result of a surgery gone … Read More

Posted in disclosure of medical mistakes, Doctors, Hospital Negligence, Hospitals, Lawsuits, medical errors, medical ethics, Medical Malpractice, medical mistakes, Medical Negligence, never events, Secrecy, Surgical Errors, tort reform |

Many Doctors Are Hurting

Probably most of the people who choose to become doctors or nurses do so because they want to help others.  For the doctors and nurses who have this as their reason for being, these are difficult times indeed.  More and … Read More

Posted in Doctors, Fee for Service, Health Care Costs, Health Insurers, Hospitals, Medical Costs, medical ethics, Nurses |

Another Tragic Death

Stop me if you have heard this one, because I know you have.  It is almost the same case as I wrote about back in May and here it is happening again.  This time the dead patient was an 18 … Read More

Posted in Doctors, Hospitals, medical errors, medical ethics, Medical Malpractice, Nurses, Surgical Errors |

You And Your New Doctor – A Few Thoughts

I was going to title this post “How to Choose a New Doctor” but that doesn’t happen very much any more.  Long gone are the days when a person chose a doctor and received most of his or her health … Read More

Posted in Doctors, electronic medical records, Fee for Service, Health Insurers, medical charts, medical ethics, Misdiagnosis |

State Medical Boards Continue To Fail The Public – Part 2

I always advise people looking for a doctor or getting ready to have surgery to check the web site of the state medical board to see if the doctor has been disciplined and, if so, for what reason.  Unfortunately, this … Read More

Posted in Arizona Medical Board, disclosure of medical mistakes, Doctors, Hospitals, medical errors, medical ethics, Medical Malpractice, Secrecy, Surgical Errors |

State Medical Boards Continue To Fail The Public – Part 1

Reuters recently released the results of a lengthy investigation into practices of the Justice Department which permit accused fraudsters and malpracticing doctors to buy their way out of trouble and continue to practice in return for payment of a civil … Read More

Posted in Arizona Medical Board, disclosure of medical mistakes, Doctors, Fraud, Hospitals, Lawsuits, medical ethics, Medical Malpractice, Medicare, Secrecy |