Medical Malpractice

• Be Your Child's Medical Advocate

  Bob Carroll | September 06, 2006 4:24 PM | 0 CommentsTampa Bay, FL

  Lawyers aren't the only advocates in this world. There are others who have even a higher responsibility.Parents Must Be Advocates for Sick ChildrenInjuryBoard Blogger Justin Madden from Cleveland drives home a critical point. Parents must fight for the rights and welfare of their children, even if that means taking on a doctor or other health care provider who is conducting a cursory...

• Toddler Killed By Prescription Error - Billboards Roll With The News

  Bob Carroll | September 04, 2006 8:41 AM | 0 CommentsTampa Bay, FL

  A misfilled prescription has caused the death of a 2-year-old child in Texas. The parents have turned to our civil justice system and to a billboard company as part of their effort to prevent future such tragedies. From The Brownsville Herald article: Toddler's death prompts public messageAs the rolling billboard remained momentarily idle on East Van Buren Street Friday afternoon, motorists...

• Age Of Surgeon Not A Factor In Outcomes (Most Of The Time)

  Bob Carroll | September 03, 2006 5:41 AM | 0 CommentsTampa Bay, FL

  In the selection of a surgeon, gray hair may not make any difference. Surgeon Age Not A Factor In OutcomeInvestigators are reporting in the September issue of Annals of Surgery that for most procedures the age of the surgeon does not impact patient outcomes.ModernHealthCare.com gives more of the details:A surgeon's experience is more relevant to patient outcomes than the surgeon's age,...

• Aggravation Of A Pre-Existing Condition Is Often Part Of An Injury Claim

  Bob Carroll | September 01, 2006 7:16 AM | 0 CommentsTampa Bay, FL

  Michael Myers, my fellow InjuryBoard.com blogger from Seattle, has posted a very clear explanation of pre-existing conditions. Pre-Existing Conditions--What Really Matters is How You Felt Before the AccidentClients often mention pre-existing conditions. They are concerned that things like degenerative disc disease may affect their recoveries. Insurance companies dwell on pre-existing...

• Severe Poverty Affects All Of Us

  Bob Carroll | September 01, 2006 3:06 AM | 0 CommentsTampa Bay, FL

  Picture a graph that shows a sharply rising line representing persons living in severe poverty in the U.S. Superimpose over that graph another graph that depicts the failing health of those living in severe poverty. If you position these shameful graphs just right you can arrive at two conclusions:1 - The financial drain of providing health care to those living in severe poverty is going to...

• Medical Students Plan To Leave Florida To Practice Ob/Gyn

  Bob Carroll | August 31, 2006 9:44 PM | 0 CommentsTampa Bay, FL

  Question of the week: Why should any state money be spent on the education or training of ob/gyn doctors in Florida if 86% are considering leaving the state to practice medicine?It might be cheaper for Florida, as an inducement to practice in this "judicial hell hole," to pay a portion of the eventual malpractice premiums of medical students in other states who will be practicing in Obstetrics...

• Some Neck Pain Relieved By Acupuncture

  Bob Carroll | August 27, 2006 5:49 AM | 0 CommentsTampa Bay, FL

  There is evidence supporting the use of acupuncture for neck pain relief (but not cure). Acupuncture Reduces Chronic Neck Pain; Massage Benefits Still UnclearAcupuncture offers relief from chronic neck pain, while there is little reliable evidence on the effectiveness of massage, according to two new systematic reviews.Acupuncture does not "cure" neck pain, and relief appears to last only a few...

• Patient Dies Because Of Delay In Cardiology Consult

  Bob Carroll | August 23, 2006 1:09 PM | 0 CommentsTampa Bay, FL

  Sometimes doctors have to move quickly to save a life. Failure to take action when the medical situation requires a prompt referral or immediate testing can be a breach of the medical standard of care. The Lakeland Ledger reports on the unfortunate death of a Winter Haven man who died within 24 hours of arriving at Winter Haven Hospital complaining of chest pains. The patient never saw a...

• When An Autopsy Is The Correct Choice

  Bob Carroll | August 23, 2006 10:35 AM | 0 CommentsTampa Bay, FL

  Fellow InjuryBoard blogger, Justin Madden, posting on the Cleveland Personal Injury Blog, has explained in some detail why an autopsy is critical when it is possible that a death may have been the result of medical malpractice. The saying goes that doctors bury their mistakes. Unfortunately, there is quite a bit of truth to the saying. Therefore, although the idea of an autopsy for a loved one...

• Best Cancer Tests Should Be Offered To Patient

  Bob Carroll | August 19, 2006 7:29 AM | 0 CommentsTampa Bay, FL

  The delayed diagnosis of cancer is often a sentence of death. When one of the possible diagnoses is cancer it seems to me that the medical standard of care should include the most definite tests available. The patient should have the right to refuse the tests, but the doctor should fully inform the patient of their availability, risks and costs. To withhold this information while trying to...