After heart disease and cancer, accidents are the number three cause of death in the United States. Of course, accidents is a broad category that encompasses a lot including medical malpractice. In fact, more than 250,000 people die each year from surgical errors and other medical negligence. So what is…
The New York Times published an article this week detailing how many hospitals, one of which is in Tennessee (LeBonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis), have started suing their patients by the thousands for unpaid medical bills. Many of the patients had insurance and the hospitals were suing for deductibles and…
At The Law Offices of John Day, P.C., we have two intake specialists, Penny Whitaker and Lauren Bates. When people call into the offices for a free consultation, Lauren and Penny take the basic accident information for a free review by one of our award-winning attorneys. Let me say, Penny…
According to recent estimates, more than 1.5 million people in the United States are killed, injured or sickened each year by errors in prescribing, dispensing and taking medications. As a patient, there are steps you can take to avoid being injured, and advocate for your own health. To help avoid…
Here is the scenario we often see: a patient goes in for a surgery. The surgery is successful but the patient continues to experience pain and other symptoms without any identifiable source. Often the patients are treated as though they are whiners or malingerers. Finally, at some point, the medical…
Because the practice of medicine is complex, there is not an easy answer to this question. But, here are some things to consider when trying to decide if you have been the victim of malpractice. First, a mistake has to be made. In legal terms, we call this falling below…
Some people are natural born complainers. Like this one from Middle Class Problems on Twitter: “A pecan from my maple and pecan slice has tragically fallen into my fresh coffee. Worst day ever.” (If you have never checked out Middle Class Problems, you should.) But some of us are loathe…
According to data published by the Tennessee Fire Incident Reporting System, in the past five years, seven people have lost their lives due to fires caused by medical oxygen. Another nine people were injured and the property damage associated with these fires exceeds $710,000.00. Oxygen-rich environments present a very real fire…
As we wrap-up Patient Safety Week, we want to conclude with some steps you can take to prevent being the victim of a medical error: 1. Write down questions you have of your doctor so you do not forget to ask about issues that are important to you; 2. Do not be…
According to research conducted by John Hopkins Medical Center, diagnostic errors do the most harm to patients and result in the most medical malpractice claims and additional expenses. Diagnostic errors can be either a missed diagnosis, a delayed diagnosis or a wrong diagnosis. Some of the most common reasons for diagnostic…