Seeking care in an emergency room isn’t something that most people do unless there’s something severely wrong. When you first get to the emergency department, a member of the medical team will likely evaluate your condition to determine how serious it is. This is...
Medical Malpractice
Medical Malpractice
There is no place for distractions in an operating room
If someone you love was injured or passed away as a result of surgery, you may question if surgical errors played a role. It may be the reality that the operation went wrong because of mistakes caused by distractions. In fact, studies have shown that interruptions and...
Why do you have to circle the operation site before anesthesia?
The technology used for surgical procedures has increased by staggering amounts in recent years. There are robotic surgical systems that can perform procedures without a doctor physically touching the patient. There are more forms of anesthesia now than in the past...
The burden of proof for medical malpractice
As a patient in hospital, you depend highly on the competence and care of its medical professionals as well as methods of treatment. Physicians have a legal duty to offer you the best possible care. Injuries can occur or conditions may worsen because of delayed...
How common are diagnostic mistakes in the U.S.?
Physicians are capable of providing services that the average person can’t. They have the legal authority to prescribe medications, ranging from sleep aids to narcotic painkillers. They have admitting rights at the hospital to put someone under observation. They also...
How does stress affect surgical errors?
A recent study by Columbia University found that stress can increase the likelihood a surgeon makes an error by up to two-thirds. The study is limited, as it only looked at one surgeon, yet it is important as it suggests stress plays a massive role in surgical error. ...
The 3 most common mistakes your pharmacist is likely to make
If you’re among the millions of Americans who need prescription medication every day to manage your medical conditions, you rely on your pharmacist quite a bit. But modern pharmacies are busy, impersonal places, and mistakes can and do happen all the time. In fact,...
How “contributory negligence” could affect your Illinois medical malpractice claim
Medical malpractice is, unfortunately, more common than many people realize. Naturally, doctors, clinics, hospitals and insurance companies are all eager to limit their losses when malpractice leaves a patient with injuries -- and that’s where contributory negligence...
Have you been the victim of a surgical ‘never event?’
Having surgery requires that you put a lot of faith in to someone's professional skills. They must act with precision, maintain a sterile environment and catch any issues, like excessive bleeding, quickly in order to keep you safe. While most surgeries are successful...
Distracted doctoring: Phones in the operating room
Distracted driving gets a lot of focus when talking about the downsides of smartphones, but the truth is that these devices, which are often addictive, can distract us in many other settings than just the car. Even doctors aren't immune. Patients can come to harm if a...