Medical Malpractice Newsletters

ACTIONS AGAINST HEALTHCARE WORKERS

(The Negligent Nurse)

How to Prepare for A Deposition as a Medical Malpractice Plaintiff

How to Prepare for a Deposition as a Medical Malpractice Plaintiff

Failure to Properly Read X-rays

Certain policies adopted by hospitals concerning diagnostic studies made in an emergency room setting may lead to malpractice claims against the institution. Frequently, a treating physician orders an x-ray, a CAT scan, or an MRI for a patient who has presented himself or herself in the emergency room. If the hospital's policy permits the treating physician to read the diagnostic test, the patient may be discharged if the reading is interpreted by the emergency room physician as negative. As a general rule, the x-ray or other test is usually later reviewed by a radiologist. If this radiologist disagrees with the interpretation made by the emergency room physician, the patient should be notified and instructed to return to the hospital. However, what happens if the hospital is unable to locate the discharged patient or if the problem has substantially worsened without treatment? A potential malpractice action.

Liability of Charitable Hospitals

In the past, the courts of many states concluded that private charitable hospitals were not liable for the tortious conduct of their doctors and nurses. The principal reasons given in defense of this blanket immunity included:

Radiology Malpractice

Radiology Malpractice