Articles Posted in Failure to Diagnose

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MarineCorpsSeal.jpgShould an active member of the United States military be able to sue the United States Government for medical malpractice?  The answer according to the United States Supreme Court in Feres v. The United States, 24 U.S. 135 (1950) is no.  The Feres doctrine, as it is commonly know, prohibits an active member of the military and not on furlough from suing the United States for injuries caused by another member of the military.  This bar does not extend to family members of active military personnel.

A congressman from New York has introduced legislation in congress to reverse the Feres decision and make the military accountable for the medical malpractice of military doctors.  The Carmelo Rodriguez Military Medical Accountability Act of 2009 is the subject of hearings that are currently before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law.  Carmelo Rodriguez was a Marine who died in 2007 after military doctors misdiagnosed a melanoma on his left buttock.  Motivated by his memory, Sgt. Rodriguez’s family has spearheaded this legislation.

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Our clients often ask us about damages in medical malpractice cases.  Sometimes they tell us that they aren’t interested in financial compensation and only want to do something to make sure that their doctor doesnt hurt anybody else.

The remedy in civil medical malpractice is financial.  When we proceed with a medical malpractice lawsuit we go to court seeking money damages.  What those damages will be is ultimately a decision that will be made by a jury after being presented with evidence of both economic and pecuniary loss. 

Some of our clients are happy to learn that each and every malpractice claim is reported to a national databank which is more or less a doctor’s permanent record.  Additionally, the Illinois Department of Professional Responsibility investigates every malpractice claim that goes to verdict or settles to determine if the doctor’s license ought to be affected.

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A Kentucky jury awarded a married couple $2.5 million dollars when their medical malpractice lawsuit went to verdict last week.

In 2001, Sophia Savage underwent a hysterectomy at a Kentucky hospital.  During the surgery her doctors left behind a sponge which was not discovered until 2005.  Doctors discovered the sponge after she complained of pain.

The sponge lodged itself in her lower intestine, requiring her surgeon to remove 49 centimeters of her bowel when the sponge was removed. 

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SayingSorryTLW_Mar28_p7.jpgOften times when we meet with new clients in our Chicago office they tell us that they are most upset about the fact that no one has ever said they are sorry after a tragic event occurs.  Lawyers and insurance companies have for years advised their doctor clients to deny and defend.  The rationale behind this behavior is an attempt to foil these patients from filing claims or costly lawsuits.  This behavior is contrary to what most of us learn at an early age, taking responsibility for ones actions and showing empathy is better than running away from the truth.

Malcolm Gladstone in his book Blink acknowledged this behavior and cited an interesting study that showed that when a doctor apologized for a mistake his patients were less likely to pursue legal action.  Gladstone makes a very important point. People just dont sue doctors that they like.  He cites work by medical researcher Wendy Levinson who recorded hundreds of conversations between a group of physicians and their patients. Roughly half of the doctors had never been sued. The other half had been sued at least twice, and Levinson found that just on the basis of those conversations, she could find clear differences between the two groups. The surgeons who had never been sued spent more than three minutes longer with each patient than those who had been sued did (18.3 minutes versus 15 minutes). They were more likely to make “orienting” comments, such as “First I’ll examine you, and then we will talk the problem over” or “I will leave time for your questions”–which help patients get a sense of what the visit is supposed to accomplish and when they ought to ask questions. They were more likely to engage in active listening, saying such things as “Go on, tell me more about that,” and they were far more likely to laugh and be funny during the visit. Interestingly, there was no difference in the amount or quality of information they gave their patients; they didn’t provide more details about medication or the patient’s condition. The difference was entirely in how they talked to their patients.

Thirty-five states have passed laws making expressions of apology within the first month-or-so after an incident occurs inadmissable in a civil lawsuit for malpractice.  With apology legislation mistakes have now become teaching opportunities as opposed to adversarial situations.  This allows patients to understand the situation, find answers and assure that justice is served.

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Bloomberg News is reporting that drug maker, AstraZeneca has concealed unfavorable studies linking the prescription drug Seroquel to Diabetes.  Emails turned over as part of litigation related to the drug Seroquel have revealed that AstraZeneca “buried” studies with bad outcomes.

More than 15,000 people have filed lawsuits claiming the drug maker failed to warn its users of the connection between the antipsychotic drug and diabetes.  These lawsuits also claim that AstraZeneca promoted off label uses for the drug beyond the purpose for which the drug was approved by the FDA.

The first Seroquel trial is set to begin in April in Deleware state court. 

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What is a lien?

A physician is allowed to put a lien against any future settlement that comes out of that lawsuit. Or, a physician might be able to enter into a contract with a patient allowing the doctor to put a lien on whoever is responsible for his payment after the case is settled or decided. The lien, which can be sent to the defendant, the defendant’s attorney and the plaintiff’s attorney, would include the amount of reasonable charges for services rendered. The lien ensures that the physician’s name is on the settlement check, or that a check is cut once a settlement is made. A physician’s lien is a collection remedy employed by doctors to collect outstanding bills.

How is a lien created?

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