South Carolina Lawyer Blog

An Horry County, South Carolina jury awarded $3 million to a man in the death of his wife caused when she went into septic shock and died about 48 hours after being discharged from the Grand Strand Regional Medical Center emergency room. The lawsuit claimed that the hospital failed to run all the necessary tests and did not take the patient's temperature after an initial check when she arrived in January 2002.

The patient went to the emergency room complaining of stomach and lower back pain on a Saturday and was diagnosed with a kidney stone. After four hours the doctors released her with a prescription for pain medication and a scheduled appointment for the following Monday.

The jury determined that both the hospital and attending emergency room physician, Dr. Stephen Law, were negligent in the care of the woman, and that they did not follow the nationally recognized standards of medical care.

The Columbia SC Medical Malpractice Lawyers at Louthian Law Firm have many years of experience in medical malpractice cases and we are committed to providing personal service and to obtaining fair compensation for all our clients. Call us at 1-866-410-5656 or fill out our confidential online case evaluation form.

Medical Malpractice

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A Nashua, New Hampshire couple will receive $1.25 million in a settlement with Tufts Medical Center in a medical malpractice suit filed after the man's 2003 kidney transplant went wrong. The patient received a perfect-match donor kidney from his brother, but the kidney failed after only a week.

The couple claimed negligence by the staff when they failed to recognize the tell-tale sign of decreased urine output that the kidney was failing. The attending physician was not called in and a renal ultrasound was not ordered until the next morning. The lawsuit claimed understaffing, rookie doctors-in-training and chain-of-command breakdowns

The hospital claimed that the patient suffered a known complication with kidney transplants and that earlier intervention would not have saved the kidney.

The man has since had another kidney transplant, which failed after 3 years, and is on the transplant list again.

The Columbia SC Medical Malpractice Lawyers at Louthian Law Firm have many years of experience in medical malpractice cases and we are committed to providing personal service and to obtaining fair compensation for all our clients. Call us at 1-866-410-5656 or fill out our confidential online case evaluation form.

Medical Malpractice

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Shands at the University of Florida was ordered to pay $6.2 million to the family of a professor who died during a CT scan of his lungs in 2002. The 41-year-old man underwent gastric bypass weight loss surgery when he developed breathing difficulties 5 days later. He died during the CT process.

The CT lung scan was ordered to assess the patient's breathing issues. Even though the man said "I feel like I am dying" and that if he was laid flat he did not believe he could breathe the nurse did not check his oxygen saturation levels.

The man is survived by his wife and 10-year-old son.

The Columbia SC Medical Malpractice Lawyers at Louthian Law Firm have many years of experience in medical malpractice cases and we are committed to providing personal service and to obtaining fair compensation for all our clients. Call us at 1-866-410-5656 or fill out our confidential online case evaluation form.

Medical Malpractice

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A Virginia woman was awarded a $3 million medical malpractice verdict against a local gynecologist after her hysterectomy went terribly wrong. Due to a state law capping such awards, the judge reduced the award to $1.9 million.

According to the lawsuit complaint, the patient was badly injured when a hysterectomy performed by Winchester, Virginia physician Katherine Averill in 2007, resulted in her vagina being stitched to her rectum. The patient required several additional surgeries to correct the problem, including a colostomy procedure.

The doctor's practice closed in November, 2009.

If you or someone you care about has been injured by the carelessness of a medical professional, you should speak with an experienced South Carolina medical malpractice attorney like the ones at the Louthian Law Firm as soon as possible. Our attorneys can help you evaluate your case; protect your legal right to the courts; stand by your side throughout the legal process; and get you the best possible results. For a free consultation, call the Columbia SC Medical Malpractice Lawyers at Louthian Law Firm today at 1-866-410-5656 or fill out our confidential online case evaluation form.

Medical Malpractice

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A $2.45 million judgment was awarded to the estate of a woman who died after being treated for ovarian cancer during a four-year period when she actually had PMP, a rare cancer of the abdomen. The woman succumbed to cancer in January 2009. The suit was brought against Stamford Hospital doctors Iris Wertheim and Isodore Tepler.

After going to Wertheim with pain in her side in August 2001, the woman was told she had ovarian cancer and underwent a hysterectomy, as well as removal of her appendix. A pathologist studied the tumors that were removed during surgery and diagnosed PMP, although Wertheim ignored the information and referred her to Tepler, an oncologist, for treatment of ovarian cancer.

After being told by Tepler she was cancer free in March 2002, the woman returned for an exam in October 2003 where she was then told she had extensive cancer. She underwent aggressive chemotherapy treatment by Tepler, yet her cancer continued to spread. She then consulted with another physician who confirmed she had PMP and underwent abdominal surgery to remove her colon.

Experts testified for the plaintiffs stating that with proper diagnosis and treatment the woman would have lived another 10 years.

The lawsuit gained national attention because the survivor winning the award, who is also a woman, won loss of consortium. The couple had been together for 25 years. Connecticut enacted the same-sex civil union bill on Oct. 1, 2005, which gave same-sex couples the same rights as married couples. Prior to that only married couples could sue for loss of consortium.

The Columbia SC Medical Malpractice Lawyers at Louthian Law Firm have many years of experience in medical malpractice cases and we are committed to providing personal service and to obtaining fair compensation for all our clients. Call us at 1-866-410-5656 or fill out our confidential online case evaluation form.

Medical Malpractice

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A 78-year-old woman, who suffered from burns and permanent scars after a medical device was placed too near her supplementary oxygen and later exploded, has been awarded $1.2 million by a Macomb County, Michigan jury.

The woman was being treated at Henry Ford Macomb Hospital for a heart attack when she fell out of bed and suffered facial fractures and a deep cut over her eye. The attorneys argued that the injuries resulted from a hospital resident's actions in October 2007.

Hospital representatives said in a statement that they respect the jury's verdict and extended sympathy to the patient and her family.

The Columbia SC Medical Malpractice Lawyers at Louthian Law Firm have many years of experience in medical malpractice cases and we are committed to providing personal service and to obtaining fair compensation for all our clients. Call us at 1-866-410-5656 or fill out our confidential online case evaluation form.

Michigan Medical Malpractice

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The Post-Standard reports a New York state Supreme Court jury has awarded a home-care nurse almost $1.7 million for permanent nerve damage following her baby's birth three years ago.

The lawsuit was filed against Community General Hospital after the hospital administered an intramuscular injection in an attempt to stop the woman's vomiting following the birth of her third child. The suit claimed the injection was given too low causing damage to the woman's sciatic nerve.

The 34-year-old mother now suffers from lower back pain and is unable to sit or stand for any length of time and has other physical problems as a result of the nerve damage. Although she still works as a home health care nurse, her doctors believe her condition will become worse.

The Columbia SC Medical Malpractice Lawyers at Louthian Law Firm have many years of experience in medical malpractice cases and we are committed to providing personal service and to obtaining fair compensation for all our clients. Call us at 1-866-410-5656 or fill out our confidential online case evaluation form.

N.Y. Medical Malpractice

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The Baltimore Sun reports a 53-year-old woman has won $3.5 million in her medical malpractice suit against Vascular Surgery Associates and two of its surgeons.

In 2007 the woman's surgery for blocked arteries ended in devastating injuries including damage to her spinal cord which left her a paraplegic. The lawsuit claimed the doctor used an improper grafting technique which led to various injuries including blood loss, and paralysis.

The award included $1.3 million in noneconomic damages, $2 million for future medical bills, and more than $200,000 for prior medical bills.

The Columbia, South Carolina Medical Malpractice Lawyers at Louthian Law Firm have many years of experience in medical malpractice cases and are committed to providing personal service and to obtaining fair compensation for all our clients. Call us at 1-866-410-5656 or fill out our confidential online case evaluation form.

Maryland Medical Malpractice

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South Florida News reports that former wide receiver for the Miami Dolphins, O. J. McDuffie, has been awarded $11.5 million against the team's doctor over a career-ending toe injury.

McDuffie claimed the former team doctor, Dr. John Uribe, was guilty of malpractice and gross negligence in the treatment of an injury to his big toe in 1999. This injury brought an early end to his career. An MRI showed the injury was serious, but the Dolphins told him at the time the exam was inconclusive. He has since undergone three surgeries on the toe.

The Columbia SC Medical Malpractice Lawyers at Louthian Law Firm have many years of experience in medical malpractice cases and we are committed to providing personal service and to obtaining fair compensation for all our clients. Call us at 1-866- 410-5656 or fill out our confidential online case evaluation form.

Medical Malpractice

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The Clinton Herald reports a Clinton County (Iowa) jury has awarded $1 million to a teen-aged girl who alleged a doctor was negligent in treating her asthma in 2005.

According to the suit, the girl was taken to the emergency room in April of 2005 for treatment for a severe asthma attack. The doctor was called, but did not arrive for 2 ½ hours and performed an emergency intubation on the girl.

The lawsuit claimed the intubation would not have been necessary had the doctor arrived at the hospital in a timely manner after being notified of the girl's "precarious condition." The intubation led to a tracheostomy, which has left permanent scarring and injury to the teen-ager's trachea.

The Columbia SC Medical Malpractice Lawyers at Louthian Law Firm have many years of experience in medical malpractice cases and we are committed to providing personal service and to obtaining fair compensation for all our clients. Call us at 1-866-410-5656 or fill out our confidential online case evaluation form.

Medical Malpractice

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A Mississippi woman whose leg had to be amputated after she had knee replacement surgery won $579,789 in a medical malpractice suit against Forrest General Hospital, reports the Hattiesburg American.

In 1998, the then 69-year-old woman's knee was dislocated when her foot got caught under her wheelchair as a nurse was taking her to the restroom following the first knee replacement surgery. After the incident, additional surgeries including another knee replacement were required. She then developed an infection which led to her leg being amputated.

The lawsuit was filed in 1999, but the verdict wasn't handed down until April 14, 2010.

The Columbia SC Medical Malpractice Lawyers at Louthian Law Firm have many years of experience in medical malpractice cases and we are committed to providing personal service and to obtaining fair compensation for all our clients. Call us at 1-866-410-5656 or fill out out our confidential online case evaluation form.

Medical Malpractice

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According to the Associated Press, a jury has awarded parents $1.6 million in their medical malpractice lawsuit filed following their son's death on an Eastern Connecticut State University basketball court.

The 22-year-old senior collapsed during a basketball game in 2005. The parents alleged the doctor who examined him in 2001 should have found the congenital heart defect known as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The doctor found him to be in excellent health and signed his college medical form.

The doctor scheduled an echocardiogram for the young man after the examination, but he did not show up for the test.

The Columbia SC Medical Malpractice Lawyers at Louthian Law Firm have many years of experience in medical malpractice cases and we are committed to providing personal service and to obtaining fair compensation for all our clients. Call us at 1-866-410-5656 or fill out our confidential online case evaluation form.

College Basketball Player Death

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The Associated Press reports an Ohio woman is suing her Pennsylvania plastic surgeon for $300,000 after she used the wrong breast implants.

According to the patient, even though she had chosen silicone implants on her doctor's advice, saline implants were used instead because they were the only kind the surgeon's office had in stock at the time of the surgery. After realizing the mistake, the doctor consulted the patient's fiance and he told her to continue with the surgery even though he did not have the power to make the decision.

The lawsuit claims the doctor committed medical battery, medical malpractice, intentional infliction of emotional distress and false imprisonment for keeping her under anesthesia longer than necessary while trying to correct the mistake.

The Columbia, South Carolina medical malpractice lawyers at Louthian Law Firm have many years of experience in medical malpractice cases and we are committed to providing personal service and to obtaining fair compensation for all our clients. Call us at 1-866-410-5656 or fill out our confidential online case evaluation form.

Medical Malpractice

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The Washington Post reports a jury has awarded $3 million to the family of a man who died after being misdiagnosed as having a hiatal hernia.

After barbecuing a steak and taking a bite, a 52-year-old man went to the Inova HealthPlex at Franconia-Springfield, Virginia, on July 6, 2006, with chest pains and complaining of trouble swallowing. After X-rays, EKG, and a CT scan of his chest, the radiologist's notes show he thought the patient was suffering from "a large hiatal hernia."

After being treated with oral medications with no success, the man was taken to Inova Fairfax Hospital where he continued to be treated with oral medications for his severe chest pain. The next day, a surgeon found the man had a perforated esophagus and ordered he be prepared for immediate surgery.

After suffering from the perforated esophagus for over 24 hours, he was severely weakened and went into cardiac arrest as he was being prepped for surgery, suffered irreparable brain damage and died July 17, 2006.

The widow filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the radiologist, the Association of Alexandria Radiologists and Fairfax Anesthesiology. Fairfax Anesthesiology settled out of court for $600,000. Due to a state cap on medical malpractice, the jury award was lowered to $1.25 million.

The Columbia SC Medical Malpractice Lawyers at Louthian Law Firm have many years of experience in medical malpractice cases and we are committed to providing personal service and to obtaining fair compensation for all our clients. Call us at 1-866-410-5656 or fill out our confidential online case evaluation form.

Medical Malpractice

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A West Virginia man is suing Dr. Jonathan M. Zuniga and Kidney Associates for medical malpractice for failing to diagnose his cancer, reports The West Virginia Record.

From September 2002 to January 2008, he visited the clinic at least 20 times seeking medical care and treatment, the newspaper reports. Due to his unresolved medical issues, on February 7, 2008, he saw another physician and was diagnosed with cancer of the bladder, according to the article.

The lawsuit alleges the defendants were negligent because they failed to diagnose the man's cancer, perform tests to determine cancer and fail to notice significant changes in his blood tests. As a result, he claims he has suffered physical and personal damages that would not have occurred if he had been diagnosed earlier.

The Columbia SC Medical Malpractice Lawyers at Louthian Law Firm have many years of experience in medical malpractice cases and we are committed to providing personal service and to obtaining fair compensation for all our clients. Call us at 1-866-410-5656 or fill out our confidential online case evaluation form.

Cancer Misdiagnosis

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A Suffolk County jury has found two doctors at Children's Hospital Boston caused the death of a 3-year-old boy and must pay his parents $15 million, reports the Boston Globe. This is an unusual amount for a medical malpractice case involving death -- settlements this large are more usual for severely injured patients requiring years of expensive treatment.

The Pennsylvania boy was born with Tetralogy of Fallot, a complex but treatable birth defect which affects the flow of blood through the heart. After several surgeries to try to widen the arteries carrying blood to his heart, the young boy was referred to another doctor who performed a catheterization. Within hours of this surgery the boy suffered a seizure found to be caused by contrast dye used in the surgery leaking into his brain.

During an MRI a tiny piece of metal -- probably from a medical instrument -- was found to be lodged in his brain. When released from the hospital, the boy was unable to walk or speak.

He died in December 2004.

The Columbia SC Medical Malpractice Lawyers at Louthian Law Firm have many years of experience in medical malpractice cases and we are committed to providing personal service and to obtaining fair compensation for all our clients. Call us at 1-866-410-5656 or fill out our confidential online case evaluation form.

Medical Malpractice Verdict

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A patient who received an overdose of radiation during a CT scan at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center has filed a lawsuit against the hospital and General Electric Healthcare, maker of the scanner.

The lawsuit claims negligence on the part of the hospital and the manufacturer in regards to performing the scans. The equipment error went undetected for 18 months and involved 206 patients who received eight times the normal dose of radiation.

In addition to negligence, the lawsuit alleges medical malpractice, product liability, and breach of warranty.

The Columbia SC Medical Malpractice Lawyers at Louthian Law Firm have many years of experience in medical malpractice cases and we are committed to providing personal service and to obtaining fair compensation for all our clients. Call us at 1-866-410-5656 or fill out our confidential online case evaluation form.

Cedars-Sinai Radiation Overdose

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The Green Bay Press Gazette reports a Brown County, Wisconsin jury has awarded the family of a farm worker $3.7 million in their medical malpractice lawsuit.

The worker died after contracting a fungal infection called blastomycosis. On two separate occasions in December of 2003 the man sought medical treatment at the Bellin Family Medical Facility. The physician assistants misdiagnosed him as having pneumonia without running basic diagnostic tests, including x-rays. In late December, he was admitted to another hospital where he was correctly diagnosed, but it was too late to save his life.

The jury found Bellin Health System and Dr. Peri Aldrich, who oversees the physician assistants, negligent and awarded his wife and two young children $3.7 million.

The Columbia, South Carolina Medical Malpractice Lawyers at Louthian Law Firm have many years of experience in medical malpractice cases and we are committed to providing personal service and to obtaining fair compensation for all our clients. Call us at 1-866-410-5656 or fill out our confidential online case evaluation form.

Wisconsin Medical Malpractice Award

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The family of a 47-year-old woman has accepted a $3 million settlement against University Diagnostic Medical Imaging and two Bronx doctors for not notifying her of her mammogram results. Her mammograms showed possible breast cancer.

The technician, who suspected breast cancer during the woman’s routine mammograms in 2001 and 2002, recommended an MRI and sent the results to her doctor, Dr. Karim. The results were never given to the patient and no follow up tests were conducted.

In 2004, when she found a lump in her breast, it was too late. The cancer had spread to both breasts and her liver. She died in March 2007.

The Columbia SC Medical Malpractice Lawyers at Louthian Law Firm have many years of experience in medical malpractice cases and we are committed to providing personal service and to obtaining fair compensation for all our clients. Call us at 1-866-410-5656 or fill out our confidential online case evaluation form.

Medical Malpractice

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A $7.3 million award has been returned by a Los Angeles jury in a lawsuit alleging Cedars-Sinai Medical Center was negligent, reports the Enquirer-Herald.

The lawsuit was filed in 2005 by the parents of a baby who was misdiagnosed by doctors at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. The lawsuit claimed the doctors in the hospital's neonatal intensive care unit failed to quickly diagnose and treat the baby for meningitis. As a result of the delay in treatment, the child suffered irreversible brain damage.

The Columbia, SC Medical Malpractice Lawyers at Louthian Law Firm have many years of experience in medical malpractice cases and we are committed to providing personal service and to obtaining fair compensation for all our clients. Call us at 1-866-410-5656 or fill out our confidential online case evaluation form.

Medical Malpractice Verdict

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USA Today reports a federal judge has upheld most of the $8.5 million he awarded in a medical misdiagnosis case.

In 2002, a doctor at Scott Air Force Base, in southern Illinois, misdiagnosed the ex-wife of a captain when she came to him with a rash on her arm and he assumed she was an addict wanting prescription drugs.

The rash turned out to be a flesh eating bacteria. The woman lost the use of her arm and was awarded $8.5 million by a federal judge.

The government requested the award for damages be cut by over $1 million, but the judge let most of the original award stand and cut the damages by less than $63,000.

Medical malpractice is essentially when health care professionals make a mistake that harms the patient they are supposed to help.

The Columbia SC Medical Malpractice Lawyers at Louthian Law Firm have many years of experience in medical malpractice cases and we are committed to providing personal service and to obtaining fair compensation for all our clients. Call us at 1-866-410-5656 or fill out our confidential online case evaluation form.

Medical Malpractice Case

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A Palm Beach County, Fla. jury has awarded $4 million to a family whose child was born with severe mental retardation more than 11 years ago at a Florida Hospital.

The family's lawsuit contended that problems getting an operating room led to several hours of delay. They alleged their son suffered permanent brain damage that led to cerebral palsy and mental retardation because of the delay. The defendants argued that the complications came from the premature birth.

Following a seven-week trial, the jury concluded the hospital's then-owner had been negligent in its care of the child.

If you or someone you care about has been injured by the carelessness of a South Carolina medical professional, you should speak with an experienced South Carolina medical malpractice attorney like the ones at the Louthian Law Firm as soon as possible. Our attorneys can help you evaluate your case; protect your legal right to the courts; stand by your side throughout the legal process; and get you the best possible results. For a free consultation, call the Columbia SC Medical Malpractice Lawyers at Louthian Law Firm today at 1-866-410-5656 or fill out our confidential online case evaluation form.

Florida Birth Injury Verdict

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At an emergency meeting on March 11, 2009, the Medical Board of Nevada is meeting to consider suspending the license of a Las Vegas surgeon after he has been accused of multiple counts of dangerous conduct, reports the Las Vegas Sun. Most of the doctor’s incidents have occurred at Desert Springs Hospital Medical Center.

The senior deputy attorney general who works with the osteopathic board states “there’s a pattern of abuse” associated with this doctor that “is detrimental to the public. The surgeon’s reported major errors date back to 2006 and include two deaths and severe complications for three others patients. The surgeon was previously suspended by the hospital.

Medical malpractice is essentially when health care professionals make a mistake that harms a patient they’re supposed to help. If you or someone you love has been a victim of medical malpractice, you should speak with an experienced South Carolina medical malpractice attorney like the ones at the Louthian Law Firm. For a free consultation, please call 1-866-410-5656 or fill out our confidential online case evaluation form.

Las Vegas Medical License Review

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Radiologists who work in breast imaging estimate their chances of being sued as four times higher than the actual number of lawsuits, reports the American Roentgen Ray Society (ARRS), the nation’s oldest radiology society.

The University of Washington School of Public Health and Community Medicine in Seattle, WA, released the results of studies conducted in 2002 and 2006. The new study appears in the February 2009 issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology.

Failure to find breast cancer remains one of the leading causes of medical malpractice lawsuits. If you or someone you care about has been injured by the carelessness of a medical professional, you should speak with an experienced South Carolina medical malpractice attorney at the Louthian Law Firm as soon as possible. We will help you evaluate your case, protect your legal rights, stand by your side throughout the legal process, and get you the best results possible. Call the Columbia SC Medical Malpractice Lawyers at Louthian Law Firm today for your free consultation at 1-866-410-5656.

Radiologist Malpractice Lawsuits

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A Pennsylvania jury has awarded $20.5 million to a family after alleged mistakes made during childbirth led to serious medical problems for their newborn son.

The family will receive $2 million for health care expenses and related costs while the son, who is developmentally impaired, will receive $18.5 million on his 18th birthday for lost earnings, pain and suffering and medical expenses.

If you or someone you care about has been injured by the carelessness of a medical professional, you should speak with an experienced South Carolina medical malpractice attorney like the ones at the Louthian Law Firm as soon as possible. Our attorneys can help you evaluate your case; protect your legal right to the courts; stand by your side throughout the legal process; and get you the best possible results. For a free consultation, call the Columbia SC Medical Malpractice Lawyers at Louthian Law Firm today at 1-866-410-5656.

Pennsylvania Malpractice Verdict

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A Lexington, KY hairdresser who became paraplegic after a routine heart surgery has been awarded $9.89 million in the largest medical malpractice verdict ever in Fayette County.

The plaintiff had valve surgery in April 2006. The surgery took less than an hour and was successful, but medical experts testified that the surgeon misplaced a hose to a machine that pumps blood during the surgery, causing too much blood and oxygen to be pumped to her right hand -- and too little to her brain and thoracic spinal cord.

If you or someone you care about has been injured by the carelessness of a medical professional, you should speak with an experienced South Carolina medical malpractice attorney like the ones at the Louthian Law Firm as soon as possible. Our attorneys can help you evaluate your case; protect your legal right to the courts; stand by your side throughout the legal process; and get you the best possible results. For a free consultation, call the Columbia SC Medical Malpractice Lawyers at Louthian Law Firm today at 1-866-410-5656.

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A Spokane, Wash. jury has awarded $14.8 million to a woman who alleged a local dentist was negligent in a series of jaw surgeries in 2000 and 2001 that left her permanently disabled.

Medical and dental malpractice is a politically charged issue, which has led to an extremely complex set of state laws governing malpractice lawsuits. If you or someone you care about has been injured by the carelessness of a medical professional, you should speak with an experienced South Carolina medical malpractice attorney like the ones at the Louthian Law Firm as soon as possible.

Our attorneys can help you evaluate your case; protect your legal right to the courts; stand by your side throughout the legal process; and get you the best possible results. For a free consultation, call the Columbia SC Medical Malpractice Lawyers at Louthian Law Firm today at 1-866-410-5656.

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As medical malpractice and birth injury attorneys, we’re interested in major developments in medical malpractice law. Recently, we ran across two major cases (in a legal publication that we can’t link to, unfortunately) that were serious enough to share.

One is a case of birth injuries to a child in New York City who was left with brain injuries, seizures, spastic quadriplegia, cerebral palsy and profound mental retardation after doctors allegedly made serious mistakes during his delivery. After fetal monitoring showed problems, doctors ordered a caesarian section. The attending pediatrician did not show up, and was replaced by an intern who had been out of school for only one month. This intern, the baby’s family contended, failed to recognize signs showing the baby had breathed in amniotic fluid and wastes, a condition called meconium aspiration that deprived his brain of vital oxygen. In fact, said the plaintiff, the intern may have even driven the fluids deeper into the child’s lungs by applying pressure incorrectly.

The baby was not treated for meconium aspiration until the following day, said the plaintiffs, and may have died if he had not been transferred to another hospital. He was treated in the neonatal ICU for two months, said the lawsuit, and will require daily care for the rest of his life. The case was settled out of court for $3 million, which must cover the family’s past and current medical bills as well as provide a future income for this gravely disadvantaged child.

The second case involves a 55-year-old Philadelphia man whose doctor failed to diagnose a dislocated right shoulder. This was an especially big problem because the man had lost the use of his left arm to a stroke. The man had been in a car accident; an orthopedic surgeon and a radiologist failed to recognize the injury from x-rays. After pain medication and physical therapy didn’t help, the patient found another orthopedic surgeon, who ordered more x-rays and found the dislocation. As a result of the delay in treatment, the patient needed surgery and was left with a limited range of motion in his right arm -- the only arm that still worked. Because of this disability, he now needs help with everyday tasks like getting dressed; his son and daughter had to move in to help. Despite an out-of-court settlement by the radiologist, the plaintiff was awarded $875,000 by a jury.

Continue reading "Medical Negligence Gives Patients Profound Physical and Mental Problems" »

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A recent study conducted by Philip Peters Jr., of the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law, found that juries are more likely to side with doctors in medical malpractice cases.

The study shows that juries tend to be skeptical of people and their lawyers who sue their doctors and that most medical malpractice trials result in a verdict for the medical doctors.
Peters concluded that juries treat doctors favorably, "perhaps unfairly so," and are even more likely than fellow physicians to defer to a doctor's opinion and testimony.

Peters’ study found that most medical malpractice suits are decided in favor of the health care provider and that the cases that go to trial tend to be the weakest ones, since those with strong evidence usually settle before trial. In an examination of plaintiffs’ win rates in New Jersey, North Carolina, Florida and Michigan, Peters found that only 27% to 30% of the medical malpractice suits which are filed end in a plaintiff's verdict, which is the lowest success rate of any type of tort litigation.

This does not mean, however, that people who feel they are victims of medical malpractice should do nothing. Despite the less than encouraging percentages Mr. Peters found in his study, the lawyers at the Louthian Law Firm have been successful in utilizing experts to effectively evaluate medical malpractice claims and bring them to successful conclusion on behalf of their clients.

For more information on this subject matter, please contact a South Carolina medical malpractice attorney at Louthian Law Firm for a free consultation.

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A Philadelphia, Pennsylvania family has filed suit against a local hospital after their father died following heart surgery.

Two hours after bypass surgery the gentleman suffered a fatal heart attack. His daughter, a doctor, reviewed his chart and saw that he was given an excessive amount of potassium. The patient's daughter believes the excessive potassium her father was given caused his death.

Nurses are taught the 4 “R’s”. Before giving medication they are taught to be sure they have: the Right patient, Right drug, Right dosage and Right method. Following the 4 “R’s” helps to eliminate many medication errors in hospitals.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a medical malpractice accident, contact a South Carolina medical negligence lawyer at Louthian Law Firm for a free consultation.

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A Fulton County Georgia jury recently awarded a 19 year old Piedmont College freshman $11.7 million dollars as a result of a spinal surgery which left him paralyzed from the waist down. The surgery which was conducted in 2003 was intended to relieve chronic back pain. The young man’s attorney argued that his paralysis was a result of a medical mistake by his surgeon and a team of doctor’s at North Fulton Medical Center. The surgeon who conducted the surgery and the team of doctors settled before a trial.

One of the neurologists involved in the surgery continued to deny responsibility and insisted on proceeding to trial. The jury, however, agreed with the student and returned a verdict of $11.7 million dollars.

If you or a loved one has been the victim of medical malpractice or medical negligence, please contact a South Carolina medical malpractice lawyer at the Louthian Law Firm for a free consultation.

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Posted In: Medical Malpractice

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Studies show that as many as 40,000 patients a year are mistakenly left awake during surgery, but paralyzed and unable to let anyone know. Sherman Sizemore a former coal miner and a Baptist minister killed himself in February 2006, two weeks after undergoing surgery to his abdomen. His two daughters have filed suit claiming that this experience is what caused their father to commit suicide. According to the complaint which was filed, Mr. Sizemore was awake for almost 30 minutes during his surgery. The family of Mr. Sizemore stated that this experience had their father so upset that he took his own life.

Experts say people who have suffered from “anesthesia awareness” often suffer post-traumatic stress syndrome.

If you or a loved one has been the victim of an anesthesia error, please contact a South Carolina medical malpractice attorney at the Louthian Law Firm for a free consultation.

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Posted In: Medical Malpractice

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