Doctor James Stillerman was recently fired from his position as a general surgeon at Lewis County General Hospital after he was named as a defendant in a medical malpractice lawsuit. The New York surgeon was one of five doctors to be named as defendants in the suit that was filed by Kevin Muncy and Wanda Bush-Muncy. Medical malpractice attorneys believe that the hospital elected to cut ties with its former employee around the same time that the lawsuit was submitted.
Former Patient Seeks Damages
The Muncy’s have filed the lawsuit in hopes of receiving a variety of damages. The couple is looking for damages and legal fees for pain and suffering, loss of income, and loss of enjoyment of life for Mr. Muncy, and loss of care, compassion and consortium for his wife, Wanda. Medical malpractice attorneys say that the couple accuses Dr. Stillerman of failing to properly assess, treat, and provide follow-up care for cellulitis and an abscess of the big toe. Furthermore, the couple’s medical malpractice attorneys claim that the remaining defendants failed to provide the necessary medical care, inform Kevin Muncy of the dangers associated with surgery, follow specific protocols that relate to diabetic patients, or obtain an opinion from a physician who was board certified in surgery. Medical malpractice attorneys believe that these acts of medical negligence, if proven in a court of law, could have led to the severe and permanent injuries that Mr. Muncy still lives with today.
Medical Malpractice Attorneys in New Jersey and Philadelphia
If you or a family member have recently been the victim of medical negligence, it is possible that you would like to speak with our professionals. Please contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation, or call for a free consultation at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia.
Deborah Rutledge was experiencing numbness in her groin, legs, and feet when she went in search of medical help at the Andersen Air Force Base clinic in Guam. A doctor’s assistant and a nurse met with Rutledge but failed to conduct proper medical examinations for the numbness the woman experienced. To compound the problem, the medical professionals did not report the case to their supervisors and instead misdiagnosed what Rutledge was suffering from. Lawyers say that the symptoms persisted, even after an emergency operation. Rutledge continues to suffer today from nerve damage.
Initially, Susan Piro cancelled the trip she planned to take to America. However, the vacation became too hard to resist, and Susan departed, leaving her mother behind. Ironically, the point of the excursion was to visit places in America her mother had once lived. Susan’s selfish and clouded judgement have now prevented her from ever being able to share these memories with her mother. 
On average, research has shown that the process to upgrade to pressure-reduction mattresses would cost about 30 cents per patient. This minimal investment would soon pay major dividends in the healthcare world. Professionals project that the reduction in bed sores could save $32 dollars per patient in treatment and care costs. This equation leads to one conclusion, big money will be saved once healthcare costs decrease. Murray Krahn, a principal investigator with the study stated that “pressure ulcers are a huge but under-appreciated problem across multiple settings in our health-care system.” He continued by stating, “though they are not the full solution, pressure-reduction mattresses are an inexpensive and easy way to address the problem.”
Melodee first began experiencing symptoms, such as pain, blood in her stool, and constipation in 2006. After multiple hospital visits, medical professionals diagnosed her with hemorrhoids. It was recommended that the hospital perform a colonoscopy, but the hospital failed to follow up on that procedure or provide any screenings for rectal cancer. Professionals say that the following year, in 2007, Adam Cloer was transferred to Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri, where his wife would learn that the cancer had spread to her lymph nodes because it was not treated in a timely manner. Melodee underwent chemotherapy, radiation, and numerous surgeries to remove her organs, all of which proved to be of no avail. The medical malpractice attorneys working the case stated, 
When a child is between the ages of six weeks and nine months, surgery is usually done to close the cleft lip. Additional surgery may also be necessary down the road if the cleft has a major effect on the nose and the surrounding area. If the cleft lip can be successfully closed by this initial surgery, it becomes much more likely that the child will have normal speech developments as the aging process continues. During the early months however, a prosthetic is sometimes inserted temporarily to close a baby’s palate to ensure that a baby can receive the proper food and nutrients. When a baby is able to take in the proper amount of nutrients, even with the cleft lip and cleft palate, lawyers say that growth and weight issues are not nearly as likely.
The doctors have been provided a sixty day window to edit and review their online profiles before they become accessible to the public. If doctors provide false information, and mislead potential healthcare consumers, lawyers believe that they will be subject to different forms of discipline. Other information that will be included in these profiles includes the medical schools they attended, specialty board certification, number of years in practice, location of practice, and whether or not the doctor participates in Medicaid. 
The county insurance fund will cover one million dollars of the total expected settlement amount. The remaining amount will be subject to reimbursement from the California State Association of Counties. The county clearly determined that a drawn out litigation process would be a sub-optimal resolution to this tragic case of medical malpractice. The county’s legal department stated “it had been determined that timely economic resolution together with release of any and all potential claims is in the best interests of the county.” Lawyers say that this means that the boy’s family will collect this sum of money but has also agreed to end the conflict here, without pursuing any other claims of liability against the county in the future. Although this money should be helpful in assuring the healthcare and safety of the boy in the future, it is unclear how much medical attention he will need for the duration of his life. Medical malpractice attorneys believe that determining damage amounts for infants is among the hardest figures to calculate because of the countless variables and the length of the baby’s expected life.
Any medical professional who has spent a significant amount of time in the field knows that medical malpractice does sometimes happen. Although not all medical negligence is serious and life-altering, some rare instances of malpractice are extremely severe and tragic. Lawyers urge that it is these victims who should be allowed to exhaust the judicial system in search of justice. Opponents will certainly argue that doctors will undoubtedly go out of business or flock to states with a more favorable system of tort damages. The victims in cases of medical malpractice are the patients, not the doctors. It is important that although this has become a popular issue recently, that we do not forget the tradition of this country. Many medical malpractice attorneys believe that a jury of the victim’s peers should be able to hear the case and determine a reasonable damage award after being presented with all of the evidence. Aren’t jurors, who hear each case individually, in a better place to determine a fair outcome, as opposed to representatives sitting in a state capital, who throw a limit on damages no matter how serious or traumatic? It seems that a jury is in a better position to determine the severity of a particular case. We should trust juries to come to a fair and equitable outcome, our forefathers certainly did.