Increasingly, state legislatures across the country are making it easier for doctors to express remorse for a bad outcome – and in some cases actually apologize for a mistake – without patients being able to use their words against them in a malpractice claim. In some...
Medical Malpractice
The difference between a missed diagnosis and a misdiagnosis
Doctors and nurses are often highly trained to care for patients suffering from severe medical conditions. Patients have to put their trust in medical professionals to seek the care they desire. However, their trust may be broken if they believe they’re suffering from...
Shoulder dystocia can pose risks if managed improperly
Shoulder dystocia is a rare but serious condition that can occur during childbirth. It must be managed properly or the mother and baby are both at risk of injury and other complications. This condition occurs when a baby's head has been delivered, but one or both...
When is the hospital responsible for your injuries?
When you visit the doctor’s office for a routine examination or emergency treatment, you hope the healthcare providers who will attend to you have the competence to provide the care you need to get back on your feet and carry on with your day-to-day life. And this is...
Maintain dignity in death as well as in life
Recently, a story involving a long-term nursing facility in the Midwest made national headlines for all the wrong reasons. One of their supposedly deceased residents was transported to a funeral home for embalming. When the mortuary staff unzipped the body bag about...
MEDICAL CLAIMS A TO Z #13
INFECTIONS AND LITIGATION LEE S. GOLDSMITH, M.D., LLB JORDAN GOLDSMITH, JD About once a month we will receive a call from a patient who has suffered a devastating infection while under the care of a physician and wants to know whether it is a potential malpractice...
Burnout in hospitals can lead to patient harm
People who go to the hospital to seek care expect that they will be taken care of appropriately. They don’t expect that understaffing will be a problem, but it’s a serious issue that affects medical centers on a daily basis. While some patients can receive adequate...
Ignoring contraindications can cause health issues
Patients trust their physicians to identify, diagnose, and treat their ailments. However, not all medical treatments are created equal, and practitioners must take special care to ensure that the remedies they prescribe meet their patient's needs–particularly...
3 common causes of hospital errors
When you go to a hospital or take a loved one, you expect competent care. New Jersey's Department of Health has discussed the rights of patients in-depth. Violations of these rights can lead to costly mistakes. Hospitals need to operate with the utmost professionalism...
MEDICAL CLAIMS A TO Z #12
THE MENTAL HEALTH SCAM LEE S. GOLDSMITH, M.D., LLB In recent weeks I have heard advertisements for call-in mental health counseling and was scared as to the potential for abuse and devastating results, for those vulnerable patients who call and fail to get the help...
