When Oregon patients check in to a hospital, their thoughts may be preoccupied with the main surgical or medical procedure they will be receiving. However, the opportunity for medical error is not confined to that event. A recent university study suggests that lower...
Dedicated To Protecting What Matters Most
Month: July 2012
Latex allergy turns routine surgery into wrongful death
A jury recently awarded $4 million to the estate of a woman in a medical malpractice lawsuit alleging hospital and staff negligence. The woman's estate claimed that hospital nurses failed to notify staff of the woman's latex allergy, resulting in her wrongful death....
Experimental brain cancer treatment may have been illegal
A neurosurgeon at an American university hospital has been accused of experimenting on 3 terminally ill brain cancer patients without university permission. Although the average survival for such patients in Oregon and nationwide is only about 15 months from...
FDA proposal may impact prescription errors
A prescription typically requires the involvement of several health care professionals. A doctor initiates the process by diagnosing a patient's condition. A nurse may transcribe a doctor's notes and send the authorization to a pharmacy. A pharmacist, in turn, must...
Failure to diagnose prostate cancer can be fatal
The Oregon Urology Institute recently offered free prostate exams -- no appointment or insurance required -- at the Valley River Center in Eugene, Oregon. They had good reason to promote this exam: 1 in 6 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer. In fact, one doctor...
1 in 20 hospital patients may develop infections
According to projections based on a 2010 report from the Department of Health and Human Services, infections, surgical mistakes and other medical harm contribute to the deaths of 180,000 hospital patients a year. Of that number, a significant portion of injuries are...
Emergency room patients face more overcrowding
Oregon patients requiring emergency care may be at greater risk of injuries caused by emergency room negligence, based on an interpretation of a recently published study. The study reported that the number of emergency department visits nationwide increased by 15%...
$55 million dollar judgment awarded in delayed C-section case
The stakes in a claim alleging birth injuries caused by a delayed caesarean section are substantial, as today's story illustrates. After 3 weeks of deliberations, a jury recently awarded $55 million dollars to a mother who brought a medical malpractice suit against...
Woman recovers $3.75 million against hospital for birth injury
An American state university hospital has agreed to settle a birth injury case for $3.75 million. In her suit, the woman alleged that hospital staff had been negligent in administering her Pitocin, a drug commonly used to help with contractions. The woman claims the...