Valleywide Legal Blog

Medical Malpractice or Criminal Conduct?

Last week I wrote about an ICU doctor in Ohio, who was accused of deliberately overdosing 11 of his critically ill patients with a powerful painkiller and thereby shortening their lives.  After nearly a week of deliberations, the jury acquitted … Read More

Posted in Arizona Medical Board, disclosure of medical mistakes, Doctors, Hospital Negligence, Hospitals, Lawsuits, medical errors, medical ethics, Medical Malpractice, medical malpractice cases, medical mistakes, Medical Negligence, Medication Errors, Nurses, Prescription Errors, Secrecy |

The “Just World” Phenomenon and the Malpractice Jury.

The “just world” phenomenon is the name given to the tendency of human beings to believe that the world is just and that people get what they deserve.  It is a form of cognitive bias.  We all have this tendency … Read More

Posted in Doctors, Finding a Medical Malpractice Lawyer, Hospital Negligence, Hospitals, Lawsuits, medical errors, Medical Malpractice, medical malpractice cases, medical malpractice lawyers, medical mistakes, Medical Negligence, plaintiff, trial, Verdicts |

Changes Are Coming To Malpractice Trials.

Recently, the Arizona Supreme Court changed the rules relating to jury selection in both civil and criminal cases.  The rule changes will take effect next month.  They may have a big effect on medical malpractice trials. Under the old rules, … Read More

Posted in Arizona Supreme Court, Doctors, Hospitals, Lawsuits, Medical Malpractice, medical malpractice cases, medical malpractice lawsuits, medical malpractice lawyers, medical mistakes, Medical Negligence, plaintiff, trial, Verdicts |

Damages: The Third and Final Element of a Medical Malpractice Case

Over the past two weeks, I have written about the first two required elements of a medical malpractice case:  Standard of Care and Causation.  There is a final requirement.  It is that the breach of the standard of care must … Read More

Posted in Doctors, Health Care Costs, Hospital Negligence, Hospitals, Lawsuits, Malpractice caps, medical errors, Medical Malpractice, medical malpractice cases, medical malpractice damages caps, medical malpractice lawsuits, Medical Negligence, plaintiff, tort reform |

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 |

What Exactly Is Medical Malpractice?

Everybody talks about medical malpractice but when you ask them about it, you find people have different ideas about what it really is.  Given its legal definition, this difference of opinion is not surprising.  Depending on whom you ask, you … Read More

Posted in Doctors, Hospital Negligence, Hospitals, Lawsuits, medical errors, medical ethics, Medical Malpractice, medical malpractice cases, medical malpractice lawsuits, medical mistakes, Medical Negligence, plaintiff, trial, Verdicts |

Medical Malpractice Insurance Rates And Entitled Doctors

Recently, my daughter, who teaches high school art, asked me why, if malpractice cases are so hard to win, do doctors continue to complain about high malpractice insurance rates.  I thought that was a good question that deserved to be … Read More

Posted in disclosure of medical mistakes, Doctors, Hospitals, Lawsuits, medical errors, Medical Malpractice, medical malpractice cases, medical malpractice claims, medical malpractice lawsuits, medical malpractice lawyers, medical mistakes, Medical Negligence, plaintiff |

The Arizona Legislature Does Not Like You.

The Arizona legislature does not like you, if you have been a victim of medical malpractice.  They have enacted several laws which apply only to victims of medical malpractice and which are intended to make it more difficult for you … Read More

Posted in Doctors, Health Care Costs, Health Insurers, Hospital Negligence, Hospitals, Lawsuits, Malpractice caps, medical errors, Medical Malpractice, medical malpractice cases, medical malpractice claims, medical malpractice damages caps, medical malpractice lawsuits, Medical Negligence, plaintiff, tort reform, trial |

The Bad Result.

Medicine is an art, not a science.  There is far more that we do not understand about the human body than we do understand.  When you receive medical treatment or undergo a surgical procedure, no one makes you any guarantees.  … Read More

Posted in Doctors, Hospital Negligence, Hospitals, medical errors, Medical Malpractice, medical malpractice cases, medical malpractice lawsuits, medical mistakes, Medical Negligence, Nurses, Surgical Errors, trial, Verdicts |

The Hospital Death.

People die in hospitals.  It is a fact of life.  Sometimes they die in spite of the very best medical care that we have to offer.  Sometimes, however, they die because they did not receive the care they should have.  … Read More

Posted in Autopsy, disclosure of medical mistakes, Doctors, electronic medical records, Finding a Medical Malpractice Lawyer, Hospital Negligence, Hospitals, Lawsuits, medical charts, Medical Malpractice, medical malpractice cases, medical malpractice lawsuits, medical malpractice lawyers, medical mistakes, Medical Negligence, Nurses, Secrecy |