Health

Good health and safety often depend on accountability. Our health coverage explores how legal issues intersect with medical care, hospital safety, and patient rights in Virginia. We examine medical malpractice, misdiagnosis, unsafe facilities, and healthcare policy changes that affect patients. We also cover public health and community wellness topics.

Unnecessary Surgeries Put Patients at Greater Risk for Injury

No one wants to go under the knife but sometimes it is necessary to enhance the quality of life or even to save it. However some surgeries have no benefit for many people and instead put them at risk. You may ask, “Why would anyone…

By Jim Lewis

/ 30 Apr 2014

Study Finds Testosterone Drug Therapy Causes Brain Damage

The University of North Texas Health Science Center issued a press release on April 2, 2014, stating that testosterone replacement drugs such as AndroGel, Androderm, Axiron, and Testim can cause brain damage in Caucasian men, but not in Mexican-American men. The University released its findings…

By Patrick Austin

/ 24 Apr 2014

Medical Malpractice: Alaska Passes an Apology Law for Medical Professionals

The Alaska Legislature is following the lead of states like Pennsylvania and has now passed a bill that would make expressions of apology or compassion inadmissible as evidence in medical malpractice cases. HB250, from Rep. Kurt Olson, has been labeled the “I’m sorry” bill. The…

By Randy Appleton

/ 21 Apr 2014

Debunking Myths About Medical Malpractice — Again

Each year brings new, and I hope, conclusive evidence that medical practice insurance, lawsuits and so-called “defensive medicine” add little to the total spent on health care in the United States. Just as reliably and regrettably, every year also brings the same old demands that…

By Richard Shapiro

/ 17 Apr 2014

Medical Malpractice Injuries and Deaths: Extreme Case in Texas

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. What happens when a doctor fools patients into thinking he is a competent doctor not once, not twice but at least half a dozen times? The terrible answer is several lives lost, several…

By Jim Lewis

/ 2 Apr 2014

Caps on Wrongful Death Medical Malpractice Damages Declared Unconstitutional in Florida

Medical malpractice caps are arbitrary and unfair. These caps restrict how much an innocent victim can receive in a case where a physician’s preventable mistake results in the death of a patient. Fortunately, the Florida Supreme Court recognized how unfair and flagrantly unconstitutional these caps…

By Jim Lewis

/ 25 Mar 2014

Infuse Spinal Fusion Product May Pose Risk of Serious Injury

Almost 1,000 people have filed suit against Medtronic, a spinal implant manufacturer, and they’re expecting many more. The morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) product, Infuse, used in spinal surgeries, has been wrought with claims of cancer, sterility in men, and unwanted bone growth. The implant is a…

By Patrick Austin

/ 20 Mar 2014

The Link Between Severed Ureter Injuries and Laparoscopic Surgeries

Laparoscopic surgery is a relatively new surgical tool with the first laparoscopic hysterectomy performed in 1988. When a doctor opts for laparoscopic surgery, he uses a laparoscope. The benefits of using a laparoscopic device is that a doctor only has to make a small incision…

By Richard Shapiro

/ 16 Mar 2014

Conflicting Studies Raise Questions About Safety Of Marijuana Legalization

The issue of marijuana legalization has long involved a contentious debate between two opposing groups, with each frequently marshaling research to bolster its position. In only the last few weeks, there have been several conflicting studies that have received attention, further confusing the questi

By The Legal Examiner

/ 25 Feb 2014

Car Accidents Leading Cause Of Traumatic Brain Injuries

Traumatic Brain Injury has been in the news a lot recently. First, with the thousands of lawsuits filed against the NFL by injured players and now with ongoing lawsuits against the NCAA. Athletes across a range of contact sports, including football, hockey and soccer, have…

By Jim Lewis

/ 19 Feb 2014

What is a Certificate of Merit and Why Do You Need One in Your Medical Malpractice Case?

If you’re thinking of filing a medical malpractice lawsuit, you may need an affidavit of merit. Half of the states in the US now have laws requiring plaintiffs file an affidavit with their lawsuit, including Virginia. An affidavit of merit is a signed document, reviewed by a…

By Jim Lewis

/ 12 Feb 2014

Audit Reveals VA Hospitals Spend Hundreds Of Millions Paying Medical Malpractice Claims

A recent audit conducted by the Department of Veterans Affairs showed that the government agency spent more than $800 million over the past decade paying claims to injured veterans and their families who suffered due to preventable medical mistakes. The trouble appears to be increasing,…

By Patrick Austin

/ 4 Feb 2014