A man who suffered gangrene after surgery won a large jury award for medical malpractice against his doctors and hospital. The man underwent heart surgery for an improperly functioning valve. His doctors did not monitor him for blood clotting and he developed gangrene. The gangrene resulted in amputation of several limbs. The jury awarded the man $10 million in medical malpractice damages.
Read more about the medical malpractice claim here.
A jury awarded a woman nearly $3 million from a medical malpractice suit she had filed against a physician group for a bowel leak during surgery that was to remove a cyst on her ovary. The leak was not discovered until 10 days later although the doctors should have seen it earlier through images taken of her uterus. Due to this mistake, the woman was left with a large abdominal hernia and permanent scars. The woman’s medical malpractice attorney said the judge will reduce his client’s jury award due to malpractice caps in their state.
Read more about the jury award for medical malpractice here.
At a veterans’ hospital, 92 veterans were given incorrect radiation doses to treat their prostate cancer. According to the article, “most veterans got significantly less than the prescribed dose while others received excessive radiation to nearby tissue and organs.” Since then, the medical center has stopped all prostate cancer treatment because of the medical errors found. Thus far, none of the patients have filed a medical malpractice suit against the medical center.
Read more about the veterans’ hospital here.
A medical center was fined $25,000.00 for medical negligence when it allowed a patient to fall off an x-ray table which resulted in blinding of one of the patient’s eyes. Although the medical center had warning that the woman appeared confused and disoriented with a high risk of falling, she was not supervised during her x-ray procedure. The woman’s eyeball was ruptured after falling to the floor. The woman has yet to file a medical malpractice lawsuit against the center.
Read more about the medical negligence here.
A man was awarded $1.21 million in a medical malpractice lawsuit he filed against his podiatrist. The man’s medical malpractice attorney claimed his client saw his doctor for foot pain when the doctor incorrectly diagnosed the man and performed unnecessary surgery on him. However, the jury award of $1.21 million will be reduced due to a medical malpractice award cap. The judgment will be reduced to $750,000.00.
Read more about the medical malpractice award here.
A woman who claims she was misdiagnosed at a hospital who confused her x-rays filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against the hospital. The woman claims while at the hospital suffering from a ruptured diaphragm, miscommunication ensued over her x-rays which led doctors to diagnose her with a urinary tract infection and muscle strain. When the emergency room finally corrected this medical misdiagnosis several weeks later, doctors had to surgically remove a third of her stomach. The woman’s medical malpractice attorney claims the woman has had six corrective surgeries since the hospital’s negligence. A jury awarded her $5 million against the hospital.
Read more about the medical malpractice jury award here.
After long debate, a federal bill has been proposed that would allow military families to sue for medical malpractice. Currently there are laws in place that make it nearly impossible for GIs and their families to sue for medical malpractice. This proposed law is unique because the federal bill would hold the government, not doctors, accountable for non-combatant related injuries. In one example of military personnel unable to sue, a GI had the wrong breast operated on to remove cancer. She was unable to sue. Her medical malpractice attorney claims even convicted felons in prison can sue the government for medical malpractice, but military personnel cannot.
Read more about this medical malpractice debate here.
A medical malpractice insurance group claims it should not have to cover a physician in a medical malpractice lawsuit. Intermed claims the proper documentation was not filed by the physician and its clinic and thus did not have to cover the physician in a settlement against him. The insurance group also claims that the physician and clinic did not submit the proper documentation before their policy ended with the insurance group. The court found that Intermed was properly put on notice and must cover the physician and clinic.
Read more about the medical malpractice insurance group here.
A man with a staph infection was misdiagnosed and filed a medical malpractice suit. The man’s medical malpractice attorney claims his client went to the emergency room complaining of headaches, shakes, and fever. The doctor on duty told the man he had a strain of flu and just needed rest. Instead the man had a staph infection in which he almost lost his life. The jury awarded the man $5.45 million dollars for medical malpractice.
Read more about the medical misdiagnosis here.
Ninety-two veterans were given incorrect radiation doses in an attempt to treat their prostate cancer at a veterans’ hospital. Although the treatment equipment was broken, the hospital continued to treat the veterans. Thus far no medical malpractice suits have been filed against the hospital. If you know someone who has been medically mistreated, consider contacting a medical malpractice attorney.
Read more about the medication dosing errors here.
A Chicago medical malpractice attorney, John Perconti, stated in a press release that a settlement had finally been reached on behalf of Octavia Shealey, a Chicago hospital patient who died from cardiac arrest. The settlement reached $ 5,350,000.00 for medical malpractice against Octavia’s physicians. Although Octavia had signs of congestive heart failure after giving birth to her daughter which would implicate she was suffering from postpartum cardiomyopathy, she went undiagnosed. The physicians instead checked Octavia into the emergency room overnight. Not until the next morning did a cardiologist recognize Octavia’s symptoms. This recognition was too late and Octavia died of heart failure within the Chicago hospital walls.
Read more about the Chicago medical malpractice settlement here.
A woman who complained of chest pains was misdiagnosed by a physician which led to permanent heart damage. The woman later filed a medical malpractice claim against the physician for misdiagnosing her chest pains. The medical insurer for the physician group the doctor belonged to also claimed that the group did not properly report the medical malpractice claim. The judge for the medical malpractice suit concluded that the woman should receive $2 million in damages.
Read more about the medical malpractice settlement here.
A man filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against a medical center claiming they made a series of medical mistakes while treating him for severe abdominal pain. The man was rushed to the hospital where he claims he was misdiagnosed and told he needed surgery. When undergoing surgery, the man claims the doctors realized they were wrong about needing to perform the surgery in the first place on the man. Later, the man was diagnosed with a digital hernia from the surgical procedure.
Read more about the medical negligence lawsuithere.
Medical malpractice attorneys representing the family of a deceased woman sued a hospital and surgeon for medical negligence after the woman died from sepsis and a perforated pouch at the beginning of her intestine. The family claims in their medical malpractice lawsuit that it was the surgery performed on the woman that caused such suffering. The woman had entered the hospital for a gall bladder removal. Four months after the surgery she died.
Read more about the medical malpractice allegations here.
According to American Association for Justice President Les Weisbrod, limiting patient rights would not lower healthcare costs. The debate over medical malpractice caps comes after a highly publicized speech by President Obama to the American Medical Association where he assured medical malpractice attorneys that he is not supporting caps on such suits but does want to scale back “defensive medicine.”
Read more about the AAJ’s stance on medical malpractice reform here.
Obama appealed to doctors today at the American Medical Association meeting in Chicago by referencing doctors’ complaints about medical malpractice lawsuits. He stated he wants to “scale back the defensive medicine.” However, Obama did acknowledge that he is not advocating medical malpractice caps on awards to plaintiffs because it would be unfair to those injured. Many critics of medical malpractice reform agree that the biggest sufferers of medical malpractice reform would be those patients injured by such medical malpractice.
Read more about Obama’s medical malpractice proposal here.
The AAJ responded to President Obama's speech to the American Medical Association today by stressing the importance of focusing on patient safety when discussing health care reform. On its website, the AAJ calls attention to the fact that there has been a lot of talk about restricting patients' rights but little done to address the prevention of medical errors. While medical malpractice lawsuits are a tiny percentage of health care costs, the website notes that 98,000 people die each year from preventable medical errors. The AAJ calls for lawmakers to focus on lowering the number of medical errors instead of further harming patients who may become the victim of these errors. Read more about the AAJ's position on medical malpractice reform as part of the larger push for health care reform.
As President Obama prepares to meet with the American Medical Association today in Chicago, a New York Times article reports that President Obama has been in talks to possibly support the reduction of medical malpractice lawsuits. While health care professionals support this change, personal injury attorneys argue that this change will negatively affect those injured or killed in incidents of medical negligence. Many see this move as a way to draw Republican support of his larger push for health care reform. To read the entire article on possible medical malpractice reform, follow the link.
The American Association for Justice is urging people to contact their representatives to speak out against the inclusion of medical malpractice tort reform in future health care reform bills. Congress is currently preparing to make great changes to the current health care system and there is a possibility that tort reform may be included in these changes. Medical malpractice tort reform would take away patients rights to receive fair compensation for the negligence of health care providers. Therefore, it is important to let your voice be heard. Stand up against the inclusion of medical malpractice tort reform in any new health care reform legislation. To locate your representatives, click here. People Over Profits has prepared a sample email that you may send directly to your representatives in Congress.
After leaving a sponge inside a surgical patient, a hospital was fined for medical malpractice. The patient underwent an infected catheter removal when the operating physician and nurse had a miscommunication issue that led to the sponge never being removed. The patient suffered from intense pain, nausea, and vomiting from the hospital’s alleged medical malpractice. The sponge became absorbed into a cyst that had to be removed.
Read more about the medical malpractice error here.
A jury verdict of $500,000 was upheld in court against a physician for medical malpractice. The suit arose from a patient of the physician who alleged the physician was negligent in the care he provided her during kidney disease treatment. The physician was also accused of professional malpractice for allegedly destroying pertinent medical documents regarding the patient.
Read more about the medical malpractice suit here.
A man filed a medical malpractice claim against his wife’s doctor who allegedly failed to diagnose her with ovarian cancer when giving birth to their son. She died a year later. The man asserts the doctor missed a tumor on his wife’s uterus that was visible on six different ultrasounds. The man has received a jury verdict awarding him $2.9 million for medical malpractice.
Read more about the failed diagnosis here.
A man has filed a medical malpractice suit against his Illinois orthopedic surgeon for alleging the doctor negligently performed his surgery resulting in nerve damage and numbness. The Illinois doctor performed a left total hip arthroplasty on the man when the patient alleges the negligent medical complications took place. The patient sought an Illinois medical malpractice attorney.
Read more about the orthopedic medical malpractice suit here.
A mother claims that a doctor overmedicated psychiatric medications to her son who later committed suicide and now has filed a medical malpractice action against the doctor. Some of the medications given to her son are not approved for treatment of children. The boy died of a sudden heart attack in his hospital room where he was being treated for his mental illness.
Read more about the medical malpractice suit here.
A woman was awarded $2.9 million for a medical malpractice claim against her hospital, doctors, and their professional corporations. The woman claims the doctors negligently performed an exploratory laparotomy that resulted in “serious medical complications including infection” which led her to seek a medical malpractice attorney.
Read more about the medical malpractice award here.
A patient claims his surgeon negligently left a needle inside his body after performing an operation on him and now is filing a medical malpractice claim against him. The man alleges the needle punctured his bladder. The patient’s medical malpractice attorney filed his complaint on May 26th.
Read more about the medical malpractice claim here.
A deceased man’s wife was awarded a large jury award of $1.88 million for medical malpractice regarding the deceased. The man died of cancer even though his doctors had seen him several times before ever being diagnosed. The failure to diagnose the man’s bladder cancer spurred his wife to seek a medical malpractice attorney.
Read more about the alleged medical malpractice here.
Studt v. Sherman Health Systems, No. 108182, presented the question of whether in an instant medical malpractice action as to whether trial court properly gave jury instruction 2006 IPI 105.01, which advised jury that in determining whether defendant's emergency room physicians violated applicable standard of care, jury could properly consider, among other things, evidence of by-laws, rules, regulations, policies and procedures, and other evidence presented in instant case. Appellate Court found that 2006IPI 105.01 was accurate statement of law, while defendant argued that said instruction improperly eliminated distinction between professional and institutional negligence. This case will greatly impact medical malpractice lawsuits.
A man alleges a hospital committed medical malpractice when performing surgery on his larynx. He is now suing them for allegedly causing him permanent damage. His injuries include vocal chord paralysis, difficulty breathing, and damage to the laryngeal nerve as a result of a posterior cervical fusion operation. The causes of action in his complaint against the hospital and doctors who performed his surgery are lack of informed consent and professional negligence.
Read more about the medical malpractice suit here.
According to an article, “after several (medical) mistakes, miscommunications, and misdiagnoses,” a woman ended up having both arms and legs amputated and since then filed a medical malpractice suit against her doctors. The woman who had a history of kidney stones went to the emergency room with kidney stone pain. Instead of treating the kidney stone, the stone turned into an infection that led to septic shock. This septic shock turned her limbs black from loss of blood circulation. All limbs had to be amputated due to this medical malpractice oversight, according to the article.
Read more about the medical malpractice suit here.
The purpose of this blog is to deliver news and information that is relevant to our areas of practice. The news and information reported on this blog represent the legal actions of attorneys throughout the United States. Our firm does not claim to represent plaintiffs in all of the lawsuits, settlements, and jury verdicts reported, only those noted as Levin & Perconti cases.
