Yearly Archives: 2013
New Study Highlights a Method of Treatment That Could Prevent Retinopathy of Prematurity
For infants with the condition of retinopathy of prematurity — also known as “baby blindness” — a new study provides hope that their condition will not be permanent. Retinopathy of prematurity occurs when the blood vessels in a baby’s eyes do not develop normally. The blood vessels become weak and may result in bleeding…. Read More »
Trial of Medical Malpractice Suit Alleging Botched Clavicle Surgery Results in Hung Jury
A jury deadlocked over the question of whether a surgeon breached his duty of care in a procedure that allegedly resulted in serious damage to the plaintiff’s collarbone. The case, Nettles v. Rutkowski, sought $1 million in damages in the Circuit Court of Culpeper County, Virginia. An expert witness from John Hopkins School of… Read More »
Michigan Jury Awards Mother $13 Million in Birth Injury Lawsuit
Recently in Flint, Michigan, a Genesee County jury awarded a woman nearly $13 million in her medical malpractice lawsuit against Genesys Regional Medical Center. In her suit, Libbey Bryson claimed that due to preventable medical mistakes, her daughter was born without the use of her right arm and with other deformities. Bryson gave birth… Read More »
In Maryland Medical Malpractice Litigation, a Wrongful Death Claim Must Include All Possible Beneficiaries
When an instance of medical malpractice results in the death of a patient, that patient’s relatives may be able to recover damages by bringing a lawsuit for wrongful death. Unlike a criminal prosecution for murder or manslaughter, a wrongful death suit is a civil claim based on the legal theory of negligence. A plaintiff… Read More »
Jury Awards $5.5 Million to Maryland Woman in Surgical Error Wrongful Death Lawsuit
A jury recently awarded $5.5 million to the daughter of a woman who died in 2011 due to what they called a surgical error. The plaintiff in Davis v. Lakhanpal alleged that the defendant, a cardiac surgeon, improperly placed pacing wires on the decedent’s heart prior to surgery. Removal of the wires by a… Read More »
New Study Finds a Link Between Cerebral Palsy and Autism
Cerebral palsy is already a serious condition requiring lifelong treatment. Now a new study has found a link between cerebral palsy and higher rates of autism. Currently, in the United States, one in every 323 eight-year-old children has cerebral palsy (compared to 500,000 to 800,000 people overall). The study by the U.S. Center for… Read More »
Hospital’s Legal Duty to Patient Should Be Decided by Jury, According to Maryland Court
A jury should have considered the question of whether a hospital owed a legal duty to a patient, who suffered from schizophrenia, to keep him from leaving the hospital while he was admitted as a patient. The Maryland Court of Special Appeals, in Crise v. Md. General Hospital, reversed the trial court’s order ruling… Read More »
New Study Suggests That Maternal Weight Is Linked to Maternal Hypertension
While the causes of preeclampsia, or maternal hypertension, are usually unknown, one recent study suggests that one cause can be linked to this condition: obesity. A study published by the University of Edinburgh in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology found that women with a higher BMI experience more complications and in-patient… Read More »
Pennsylvania Woman and Her Child Win $4 Million Award for Birth Injury Caused By Medical Negligence
Recently, a jury in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania awarded a woman and her daughter $4 million for a birth injury attributed to an obstetrician’s negligence. The doctor ignored Erin McCarthy when she expressed concerns that her daughter might be too large to deliver vaginally. McCarthy’s daughter, Chloe, was born in 2009 at Lehigh Valley Hospital…. Read More »
Medical Malpractice Case Allowed to Proceed Against Cardiologist, After Court Reviews Question of When Plaintiff “Discovered” Injury
A federal district court in Maryland denied motions to dismiss a lawsuit alleging medical malpractice and fraud against a cardiologist and the medical center where he treated the plaintiff. The defendants claimed that the plaintiff in Peacock v. Peninsula Regional Medical Center, et al did not file his lawsuit within the time limit set… Read More »