In August 2016, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) declared sepsis a medical emergency. Sepsis is a reaction to your body fighting a life-threatening infection. It moves through the body quickly and can be deadly if not diagnosed and treated quickly. Unfortunately, less than half of Americans have heard of the illness. Sepsis […]
A recent study released by Johns Hopkins Medicine estimated that there could be more than 250,000 Americans that die each year from a medical error. If that number is compared with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) official list from 2014, medical errors would rank as the third leading cause of death. Oftentimes, […]
In the late 1990s, insurance companies and special interest groups banded together to lobby for legal reforms that would limit the power of juries to award damages against doctors and hospitals who carelessly injured the patients who depended on them. Using scare tactics and questionable statistics, the lobbyists convinced legislators that lawsuits against doctors and […]
A study released by researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine discusses the shortcomings in reporting and tracking death certificate data. After analyzing some prior research, the researchers indicate that there could be more than 250,000 Americans that die from Medical Errors each year. If that number is compared with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention […]
The plastic surgery industry is booming. In 2014, Americans spent more than 12 billion dollars on cosmetic procedures (both surgical and nonsurgical). According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), there were more than 10 million cosmetic procedures performed in 2014 alone. While a growing number of consumers are striving to create a “better […]
In 2003, the Texas legislature passed a tort reform bill to help lower the cost of healthcare. The bill placed a $250,000 cap on non-economic damages that can be awarded per defendant in medical malpractice lawsuits. Recently, studies have looked into Texas and other states that have a similar cap on medical malpractice lawsuits to […]
Before placing someone in a nursing home you will probably think of the worst case scenarios: a life threatening fall, a vicious infection, improper use of medication, or inattentive staff, all of which could lead to the decline and ultimately the death of the resident. While imaging these scenarios may sound like an overreaction, the […]
Twelve times a day, a surgeon sews up a patient with a surgical sponge or other object left in the patient’s body. It is one of the most common types of surgical malpractice. These implanted objects cause infection, and even death, but many hospitals are ignoring technology that would virtually eliminate the problem. Peter Eisler […]
We all assume that our doctors would not prescribe unnecessary drugs or perform unnecessary surgeries. But doctors are human, and doctors know that they make more money from surgeries than office visits. If an unscrupulous doctor performs an unneeded surgery for personal gain, the doctor commits medical malpractice, just as if the doctor botched a […]
Powers Taylor LLP has added an additional attorney to its Nursing Home and Malpractice Section. Ernest Tosh, formerly of the Tosh Law Firm, has extensive experience in prosecuting claims of negligence, neglect, and abuse in nursing homes and assisted living centers in Texas and around the country. Ernest will be Of Counsel to Powers Taylor, […]
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently mandated that HeartSine Technologies recall its Samaritan 300/300P public access defibrillators manufactured from August 2004 to December 2010 because of their battery defects. The devices have been linked with 5 deaths. The defibrillators were found to randomly turn off and on, depleting the device’s battery life. Similarly, […]
The federal government has recently proposed a new system to gather information and report the frequency of medical mistakes and unsafe practices in the healthcare industry. The American Hospital Association claims to be open to the idea, but has also expressed concerns that patients may not accurately be able to report their medical conditions. The […]