After a two-week trial, a Lehigh County jury recently awarded a historically large verdict to Mark Crowell and Sharon Petrosky Crowell. The couple had filed a lawsuit against St. Luke’s University Hospital and one of its doctors, claiming the defendants were liable for mistakes made…
About thirty percent of all U.S. births are via C-section, many of them planned, but some are necessary because of complications during birth. When the mother is already in labor, the unborn child may show signs of distress. An attentive doctor will recognize these signs…
In 1999, a report by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) shocked America by stating that at least 44,000 people a year—and as many as 98,000—were dying from preventable errors in hospitals. Using even the lower figure, preventable errors exceeded deaths from motor-vehicle accidents, breast cancer,…
The United Cerebral Palsy organization estimates that about 764,000 children and adults in the U.S. have one or more symptoms of cerebral palsy. Each year, about 10,000 more children are born with the disorder. A variety of factors can cause cerebral palsy, including genetic issues.…
When Berks County infant Emma Takacs was taken by her family to the emergency room of Reading Hospital and Medical Center in Reading, Berks County, in December 2007, she was suffering from a 103-degree fever. Her doctor diagnosed her with a middle-ear infection and sent…
According to recent studies, medical malpractice suits have more positive effects than negative, and actually contribute to improved patient safety. Yet, advocates of medical malpractice tort reform have been busy with campaign efforts in key states. As recently as June 2013, the Arkansas State Chamber…
In April 2013, Florida lawmakers approved medical malpractice reforms, in essence making it harder for patients to sue doctors and hospitals for medical negligence. Originating from the Judiciary Committee of the Florida Senate, the bill was approved by the House Representatives with a 77-38 margin.…
In September 2012, The New York Times reported that the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) had proposed a new system for reporting medical mistakes and unsafe practices....
According to the Briggs Corporation, about ten percent of all lawsuits involving nursing homes deal with elopements, or wandering, and 70 percent of these involve the death of the resident. A...
In a recently-published article in Chest, David A. Hyman, M.D., and Charles Silver, J.D. examine what they call five myths of medical malpractice, the first of which is that medical malpractice...
