American Association for Justice (AAJ) Partner and Washington, D.C. injury lawyer Paulette Chapman participated in the American Association for Justice (AAJ) Women’s Lobbying Day on May 26th, 2011. Chapman and women trial lawyers from across the country gathered to lobby Congress against the House HR 5
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Residents at a Washington D.C. Nursing Home Say the Facility Has Mounting Problems
[ubermenu-map address="Washington, D.C." zoom="14" width="375px" height="375px"] In Washington D.C., residents at the Washington Center for Aging Services and their families have reported several problems that are affecting the care of senior citizens at the facility. One female resident told her family that the food service was struggling, and stated that lately it's become even more insufficient....
Read MoreRecent Studies Show Misdiagnosis is a Big Problem in the U.S.
After the publicized death of a 12-year-old boy last year, who was sent home from an emergency room after doctors misdiagnosed the systemic infection that quickly killed him, the media put a human face on the problem of misdiagnosis in America. Misdiagnosis “happens all the time,” stated David Newman-Toker, who studies diagnostic errors. “This is...
Read MoreDozens of Patients Exposed to Scabies in Norfolk Hospital
In Virginia, dozens of former patients have been told they may have been exposed to scabies at a hospital in Norfolk. According to The Virginian-Pilot, a patient with scabies was admitted to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital in early August, which caused an employee to contract scabies. Due to the hospital’s negligence, eight other workers and...
Read MoreMedication Side Effects Causing More Hospitalizations
Last month, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality released a report indicating that the number of hospitalizations from medication side effects increased by more than half between 2004 and 2008. Antibiotics, anti-cancer drugs, benzodiazepines, corticosteroids, insulin and blood thinners attributed to more than 2.7 million hospital stays and emergency room trips in 2008. In...
Read MoreVirginia Jury Awards Plaintiff $212 Million in Botox Case
In one of the biggest Botox-related litigation awards yet, a U.S. District Court jury awarded a Virginia man $212 million late last month. The award represents $12 million in compensatory damages and $200 million in punitive damages for the plaintiff. The 67-year-old plaintiff filed the lawsuit against Allergan, Inc., the maker of Botox, alleging...
Read MoreStudy Sheds Light on the Effectiveness of Medical Liability Reform
The New England Journal of Medicine released a study on the effectiveness of medical liability reform. The study examined both the perceptions and realities of traditional approaches toward safe and high-quality health care. Doctors and insurers think malpractice claims are excessive. However, estimates indicate that only two to three percent of patients injured by
Read MoreFederal Government Releases Data on Medical Malpractice
Earlier this month, the federal government released data on how often patients suffer injuries from eight specific medical errors. A spokesperson from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said officials were not ready to discuss the data, however. The data comes on the heels on a report from the Office of Inspector...
Read MoreConsumer Advocacy Group Public Citizen Reports on State Discipline of Doctors
The nonprofit consumer advocacy group Public Citizen released its report on state medical boards and their failure to discipline doctors. The results may shock you. The results showed that 32 states let more than half the doctors off without any reprimand after hospitals revoked or restricted their privileges. The study examined the National Practitioner Data...
Read MoreWashington DC Doctor Suspended by Delaware for Role in Young Woman’s Death
Delaware’s medical disciplinary board suspended a doctor, who was also licensed in Washington, D.C., for six months for medical incompetence. A 19-year-old patient died after receiving a pain-relief injection from the doctor. She had been receiving treatment from the doctor for months after a car accident left her with lingering pain. One day in...
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