Veterans' Administration hospitals, as readers may have heard, do not have the greatest track record in terms of preventing medical errors. To be sure, medical errors can and do occur from time to time at every hospital, even in the absence of negligence. However,...
Medical Malpractice
Pursuing damages for medical error as a VA patient, P.2
Last time, we began speaking about the Federal Tort Claims Act and the general elements that must be proven in order to successfully pursue such a claim. One important point that needs to be mentioned about the FTCA is that before a claimant actually pursues...
Pursuing damages for medical error as a VA patient, P.1
As we mentioned in our last post, VA patients do not have the same ability to pursue damages for medical errors as civilian patients. This does not mean it is impossible, only that the means of obtaining compensation is slightly different and a bit more...
Work with experienced counsel after serious surgical error
In our last post, we mentioned a recent study which highlighted the benefit of returning to the facility that performed a surgical operation when post-op complications arise. As we mentioned, it is important for any patient who experiences serious complications after...
Doctors have responsibilities in prescribing risky drugs, P.2
In our last post, we began speaking about the risks associated with the Fentanyl spray Subsys and the fact that it is often prescribed for off-label uses, some of which are actually contraindicated by the manufacturer. Because of the toxicity of the drug, as well as...
Doctors have responsibilities in prescribing risky drugs, P.1
Physicians have a big responsibility when it comes to the promotion and prescription of medications for the benefit of their patients. Because of the way medical care is delivered, patients rely on their doctors to recommend the most beneficial course of treatment,...
Patients seek relief in cases against unethical Michigan doctor, P.2
Last time, we spoke about the conviction of former hematologist and oncologist Farid Fata in Michigan for defrauding patients. As we noted, Fata is facing potential civil liability for his misdeeds, but plaintiffs do face challenges in seeking relief from the...
Patients seek relief in cases against unethical Michigan doctor, P.1
When we talk about medical malpractice on this blog and in general, we are very often speaking about decent doctors who, for one reason or another, had a lapse of judgment and made a mistake that ended up harming a patient. In some medical malpractice cases, a...
Transparency in health care and patient compensation
A recent article on the blog Health Affairs made an important point about the current situation with the health care system when it comes to dealing with medical errors: transparency can significantly improve the outcome of cases in which medical errors occur, even...
When doctors fail to recommend cancer screening
We've been talking about cancer screening in our last couple posts--the risks, the benefits, and the potential for doctors to make the mistake of failing to recommend cancer screening. The latter issue is an important one, of course, because doctors have a huge...