What is a Doctor’s Duty of Care?
Medical doctors and other health professionals owe a duty of care to their patients. A duty of care is the legal obligation doctors owe their patients to provide treatment in line with appropriate levels of care under the circumstances. This legal obligation is the first step in proving any medical malpractice claim.
(more…)
Read MorePakistani Pediatrician Charged with Medical Negligence and Manslaughter after Allegedly Reusing HIV Infected Syringes
As reported by the Independent.co.uk, almost 900 Pakistani children and about 200 adults have tested positive for HIV in the city of Ratodero after receiving injections from a doctor that allegedly reused HIV infected syringes. Some children have died after becoming infected and those that are living with the disease are often shunned because of a misunderstanding that HIV can be contracted by touch. Health officials believe that the true number of those infected could be higher as they have tested less than one quarter of Ratodero’s 200,000 residents to date. According to the United Nations’ taskforce on HIV and Aids, HIV infections in Pakistan have nearly doubled to 160,000 since 2010.
Read MoreCanadian Women Bring Medical Malpractice Lawsuit For Improper Use of Labor Inducing Drug
As reported by Global News, New Brunswick’s largest health authority and one of their now former obstetrics nurses are named as defendants in a proposed class action lawsuit. The lawsuit, brought by two of at least a dozen women who were affected by this behavior, alleges that the nurse improperly administered labor-inducing drugs by adding the drug to IV saline bags hooked up to pregnant women. The drug oxycontin was allegedly administered without the knowledge or consent of the mothers. The women allege that the Moncton Hospital either knew or should have known that their nurse was allegedly improperly administering the drugs. They also argue that the health authority could have done more to prevent this from happening by acting on their knowledge that “the hospital…performed an unusually high number of emergency c-section and instrument-assisted deliveries.”
Read MoreMedical Malpractice Lawsuits: Alleged Deadly Dosing by Mount Carmel Doctor
Medical Malpractice Attorney Gerald Leeseberg was hired by the family of Janet Kavanaugh who was 79 years old and near death when she was transferred from an assisted care facility to Mount Carmel West hospital in Columbus, Ohio. According to an article on WOSU Radio, her family asked that lifesaving measures be stopped, and that Kavanaugh be comfortable for her remaining time. Kavanaugh died Dec. 11, 2017. As Leeseberg began to review records from the assisted care facility and Mount Carmel he noticed a concerning pattern. Mount Carmel has now identified 25 patients under the care of William Husel – including Kavanaugh – who received an “excessive and potentially fatal” dose of the opioid fentanyl, which is used as a painkiller. All 27 patients later died, according to a statement by the hospital.
(more…)
Read MoreMedical Malpractice Lawsuit for Bowel Injury Caused by Hernia Repair Surgery
Hernia surgery is common and has positive patient outcomes the vast majority of the time. This is no comfort to the two percent of ventral hernia surgery patients that experience bowel injuries as result of the procedure however. Bowel injuries can lead to serious complications including sepsis and fistulas and even death. Bowel injuries also increase the length of the hospital stay after hernia surgery from four to seven days and increases the likelihood of reoperations and readmissions.