New York Malpractice & Injury Lawyer Blog

Fiona Stanly Hospital in Perth was the scene of a terrible mix-up involving a five-year-old girl. The mistake occurred in February, but the girl’s foster mother is just now speaking up because a second patient was given an incorrect dose of medication in August at the same hospital and died.

The girl and her family entered the hospital after the child suffered a gash to her leg. When the doctors attempted to stitch the wound, the child would not stop screaming. It was only when the girl was clearly in pain that she should not have felt did the doctors discover why: They had injected her with magnesium sulphate instead of a numbing anesthetic.

The foster mother says that every time the girl screamed, the doctors would give her another injection. Magnesium sulphate in high doses can cause the blood pressure to drop or spawn an asthma attack. The doctors kept insisting that there was no way she could feel her leg being stitched, assuming all the while that they had given her the correct medication.

Reporters from The Detroit News, Joel Kurth and Karen Bouffard, recently conducted an investigation for a series of reports and found that there is a dirty secret alive within the walls of some city hospitals. There seems to be a systematic problem with surgeons using dirty instruments during procedures, putting patients in danger. Thanks to the reporters, a state-federal investigation has begun.

According to evidence gathered by the duo, there have been years of complaints from staff and surgeons at Detroit Medical Center’s Midtown campus regarding the use of dirty instruments. No matter how concerning the use of dirty instruments is, what is even more startling is that complaints have been sounded for years.

Despite this information being released, the center has refused to release data regarding how many patients have contracted infections. Unfortunately, they aren’t required to, leaving the public in the dark. There is also no legal requirements that make surgeons inform patients of any complications during surgery. There are guidelines, but the are subjective. It then becomes a vicious cycle: Doctors don’t tell patients, patients have no idea, there is no one to inform regulators.

A man died in 2011 after he underwent heart surgery. The doctor who performed that surgery was subsequently fired and forced to surrender his license. Today, the family of the deceased man is suing UnityPoint Health-Meriter in Wisconsin.

According to the widow and estate of the man, his death was due to negligence. The lawsuit, filed on behalf of the family was filed in Dane County Circuit Court. Dr. Sean Yetman was placed under investigation after the death of Thomas Pliner, 77, and was terminated. The family is suing the hospital.

Pliner underwent a bypass and valve repair surgery and bled excessively during the procedure. The man passed away the day following his surgery. According to an internal investigation, Yetman allowed Pliner to remain on a heart-lung bypass machine too long. Additionally, he harvested a vein for the bypass when he should have harvested an artery.

VA hospitals around the country have been letting unqualified professionals determine if veterans had brain damage. Now, some vets are getting the chance at a second opinion and one vet in Missouri is suing the VA.

Rick Radford came home a different person than he was when he went to Iraq. A car bomb went off near the soldier and the blast caused him to hit his head. Redford was knocked unconscious and awoke bleeding. Today, he experiences chronic headaches, memory loss and insomnia.

Redford turned to the VA for help when he got home and, during an initial exam, it was noted that his symptoms were likely the cause of a traumatic brain injury. Because TBI is difficult to diagnose correctly, Redford needed a specialized exam. He was given that exam by an intern.

A jury determined that infant Olivia Coats died as the result of head injuries caused by the forceps used to aid in her delivery. The men and women on the jury found Dr. George Backardjiev and The Medical Center of Southeast Texas to be culpable for the baby girl’s death. As a result of their verdict, Rachel Melancon, Olivia’s mother, was awarded more than $10 million. She will not see the majority of it.

According to reports, politicians in Texas signed off on a cap for malpractice claims. The cap is set at $250,000 per claim for non-economic damages like pain and suffering. As a result of that cap, Melancon will only receive $750,000, or $250,000 for each of her three claims.

The cap was set in 2003 as a way to protect doctors and patients. Because of it, many attorneys in the state of Texas no longer fight for people who have lost loved ones. Lawyers do not want to spend time or their clients money when awards will barely cover the costs of a lengthy trial.

Cheyenne Regional Medical Center in Wyoming has been sued over what is alleged to be the wrongful death of a teenager. Attorneys have not disclosed the exact amount they are seeking in the suit. Doctor B. Douglas Harris has been named in the suit alongside the hospital.

According to documents, Isaac Salas, a student at South High School, had been injured during a wrestling practice in 2010. The teenager broke two vertebrae in his back and was paralyzed as a result. Salas was admitted to the emergency room at Cheyenne Regional Medical Center in 2011 because he was having issues with a catheter.

Salas underwent surgery the day after he arrived at the emergency room. He was released from the hospital and died. His mother, Melissa Plumley, says that the teen’s death was caused by fluid build up in his lungs due to pain medication. She is also claiming that her son never should have been released from the hospital because he was having trouble breathing.