Personal Injury and Medical Malpractice Blog

A recent study has revealed that children are also victims of the opioid epidemic. This study shows that opioid-related hospitalizations of children have increased dramatically in recent years, with pediatric ICU admissions for opioid overdoses doubling between 2004 and 2015. We have heard for many years now about doctors who overprescribe opioids for adults, usually for the treatment of pain. When children ingest these drugs, they often develop dangerously low blood pressure and have trouble breathing. Many of these children have found their way to methadone, a drug that is used to treat adults who are addicted to painkillers. Sometimes these second victims can suffer fatal injuries. Sixty percent of pediatric opioid overdoses affected children between the ages of 12 » Read More

A new study reveals that there may be a connection between birth injuries and autism. It is now believed by physicians that at least 80 percent of children who suffer from an attention deficit disorder or autism also experienced a birth injury. Injuries that occur to the baby during labor and delivery can severely damage the nervous system, potentially leading to a wide variety of cognitive and psychological problems. Injuries may be caused by the following: Uterine inertia Extremely long or short labor Forceps and vacuum extraction Failure to monitor an infant with a slow heart rate Improper epidural administration Medication-induced labor Delayed C-section Maternal hemorrhaging Neonatal anemia Meconium aspiration In addition to the above, a separate recent study concluded » Read More

Same-day surgery centers have become a popular option for patients undergoing routine outpatient surgical procedures. These independent operating centers, which are not connected to hospitals, are a convenient alternative for simpler procedures, such as colonoscopies or cataract surgeries. Patients may not realize, however, that they may be sacrificing safety for convenience. Fatal injuries from medical malpractice are not reliably reported for these centers, leaving patients unaware of what they may be walking into. Same-Day Surgery Centers Convenient for Doctors and Patients Often, it is the doctor that chooses the site of the operation, whether in a hospital or at one of these centers. Same-day centers are more efficient and easier to schedule than trying to work into a hospital system. » Read More

There is a new and exciting development on the horizon of medical care. Although robots have been assisting surgeons for years in smaller capacities, they may soon perform complete surgeries. At this time, robot-assisted surgery is used for minimally invasive procedures, such as those performed through tiny incisions, although it is also sometimes used in traditional surgeries. In the near future, complete surgeries will be performed through autonomous robotic surgery (ARS). This advancement will provide many benefits to patients, such as superior accuracy, shorter hospital stays, and a faster recovery. Today, when a surgeon uses a medical device in surgery, he or she is the one who advises patients of the risks of a procedure based on individual medical history » Read More

A medical error can happen under several circumstances, and it is happening all too frequently. A study by Johns Hopkins University reveals the magnitude of the problem, citing medical error as the third-leading cause of death in the United States. Many of these deaths are preventable, but if doctors and hospitals fail to provide patients with the proper care and attention, the results can be catastrophic. Researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine analyzed data from nearly 36 million hospitalizations over a period of eight years. They examined these cases for fatalities caused by error in judgment, system or computer defects, inadequately skilled staff, prescription error, surgical complication, or other preventable harm. Medical error was a factor in » Read More

Recent research indicates that “routine” procedures at surgery centers are sometimes anything but routine. People are dying or becoming injured because of medical negligence during procedures, and the facts are not always made public. In New Jersey, very little information is available about the safety of the state’s freestanding surgery centers. At this time, the best way to learn of any problems associated with a specific surgery center is to make a special request to the state health department for inspection records, or to visit the county courthouse to look up malpractice records. But even then, very little information is available. We do know that the risks of having outpatient surgery are higher for older patients. Ironically, about half of » Read More