On behalf of Law Offices of W. Scott Sonntag, P.A. posted in Doctor Errors on Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Drug and alcohol addiction is not unheard of within the medical community, and, unfortunately, Maryland doctors are not immune to substance abuse either. In a recent investigation conducted by ABC2 News, records from the Maryland Board of Physicians uncovered dozens of cases involving doctors struggling with drug and alcohol abuse while working with patients.
Among the cases cited in the ABC2 investigation were stories of physicians injecting themselves with opiate-filled needles at the hospital, doctors snorting cocaine while with patients and performing their duties while intoxicated. Such behaviors legitimately raise grave concerns about the risk ofmedical malpractice and negligence.
On behalf of Law Offices of W. Scott Sonntag, P.A. posted in Doctor Errors on Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Maryland residents considering filing a medical malpractice lawsuit might be interested to learn a little bit about the facts related to a recent lawsuit that commenced in a nearby state. The lawsuit involves a 45-year-old mother of three who died while in the care of an emergency room doctor.
The incident in the ER occurred after the mother of three fell and hit her head. She went to the hospital for help. A CT scan was done and it showed that she was bleeding from the brain.
On behalf of Law Offices of W. Scott Sonntag, P.A. posted in Doctor Errors on Thursday, May 3, 2012
A Maryland cardiologist that filed a lawsuit for defamation recently had a Baltimore County Circuit Court judge dismiss the matter. The lawsuit was filed against St. Joseph Medical Center. The Maryland cardiologist was seeking damages for accusations of medical malpractice for unnecessarily performing heart stent procedures.
The doctor described himself "as a scapegoat for the hospital's own turmoil." However, the lawyers for St. Joseph deny this and argued that the lawsuit was invalid because of a contract the doctor had signed absolving St. Joseph's of responsibility. The hospital is currently facing a number of its own troubles, including a decline in revenue and admission.
On behalf of Law Offices of W. Scott Sonntag, P.A. posted in Doctor Errors on Friday, April 27, 2012
Patients in Maryland and elsewhere may be troubled by a new report in Health Affairs that shows that many doctors do not believe that being honest with their patients is necessarily the best policy. The study included a survey of nearly 2,000 doctors across the United States. Of those interviewed for the survey, 34 percent of the doctors stated that they do not believe they should disclose serious doctor errors, including surgical errors, to patients.
Nearly 20 percent said they did not disclose an error last year out of fear. The fear that drives most doctors to withhold important information from patients concerning potentially serious medical errors is medical malpractice lawsuits.
On behalf of Law Offices of W. Scott Sonntag, P.A. posted in Surgical Errors on Friday, April 20, 2012
The parents of a Maryland teenager who died after a wisdom teeth operation are suing the surgeon and anesthesiologist who performed the procedure for medical malpractice. Typically an hour and a half procedure, the parents received a phone call within 15 minutes that something had gone horribly wrong. Ten days of hospitalization later, their daughter was dead.
The parents allege that the surgeon and anesthesiologist who performed the procedure in March 2011 were negligent. The cause of death was ruled to be hypoxia, which is caused by oxygen deprivation while under anesthesia. The incident was ruled an accident.
On behalf of Law Offices of W. Scott Sonntag, P.A. posted in Birth Injuries on Friday, April 13, 2012
There is little worse a new parent could imagine than learning that something went wrong during the birth of their child. However, when that nightmare was preventable and the result of hospital negligence, a medical malpractice lawsuit may be filed.
Maryland parents might be interested to learn about a Washington, Iowa, couple that is suing the state of Iowa and the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics after a cesarean section resulted in serious injuries to both a mother and her newborn child.
On behalf of Law Offices of W. Scott Sonntag, P.A. posted in Doctor Errors on Thursday, April 5, 2012
When someone is sick or injured, they rely on their doctors to make them well again. Although a doctor cannot always cure an individual, people expect that their physicians will provide them with proper care and treatment. When a doctor's errors cause a person to suffer even more extensive injuries, they may be held responsible through a medical malpractice lawsuit.
Readers in Maryland may be interested to read about a recent lawsuit where a jury awarded a woman $4.2 million for a medical malpractice suit she filed against a local physician in a nearby state. The lawsuit alleged that the doctor failed to see the importance of a report provided by a neurologist after the woman was discharged from the hospital. The woman, who suffered a number of strokes, suffered severe memory loss and lost some of her vision due to her doctor's errors.
On behalf of Law Offices of W. Scott Sonntag, P.A. posted in Doctor Errors on Thursday, March 29, 2012
Medical malpractice can happen anywhere in the country, from California to Maryland. However, anyone who is hurt due to the negligence of a physician may seek compensation through a medical malpractice lawsuit. No one is required to simply accept the mistakes of another person, especially if that means a person must endure serious pain and suffering.
In a recent lawsuit filed in California, a jury heard the case of a 48-year-old woman who became paralyzed from the neck down after undergoing a procedure to investigate a vein in her brain. The procedure took place several years ago, but more recently, the woman filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against the Palo Alto Medical Foundation.
On behalf of Law Offices of W. Scott Sonntag, P.A. posted in Surgical Errors on Friday, March 23, 2012
According to a study published in the Archives of Surgery, more than one in seven surgeons is either addicted to alcohol or struggles with alcohol abuse. The research also found that the rates of alcohol addiction are almost two times higher among female surgeons than male surgeons. Rates are also higher among young, unattached surgeons than older surgeons with children who are in happy relationships.
The major concern for people in Maryland and beyond is the rate of surgical errors among surgeons struggling with substance abuse problems. It appears that surgeons struggling with alcohol addiction are significantly more likely to report a surgical error in the past three months than surgeons without dependence problems.
On behalf of Law Offices of W. Scott Sonntag, P.A. posted in Hospital Negligence on Friday, March 16, 2012
Maryland hospitals are attempting a new strategy to resolve medical malpractice cases faster. The new practice involves referring patients to attorneys. According to MedStar Health, one of Maryland's largest health care providers, the new strategy appears to work well.
According to MedStar, the company is proactive in cases involving hospital negligence or doctor errors, but there is only so much the hospital itself can do in any given case.
