A recently published study estimated that the annual cost of medical errors in the U.S. in 2008 was $19.5 billion dollars.
Of that 19.5 billion, 11 billion payed for the treatment of bedsores or pressure sores.
The study reported that about 1.5 million measurable medical errors happen annually, according to co-author Jonathon Shreve. It also found the 10 most common medical errors in the U.S., and found that most of the cost of medical errors can be attributed to 5 common errors:
– Pressure Ulcers – Postoperative Infections – Mechanical Complications of Devices, Implants, or Grafts – Postlaminectomy Syndrome – persistance of pain and/or disability following back surgery and – Hemorrhages complicationg a procedure
Bedsores alone are costing upwards of $11 billion dollars a year to treat. Bedsores are completely avoidable occurences, and there is no excuse for the astounding amount of patients suffering through them. They cause immense pain, and in many cases, infection.
Nursing home and hospital care must become more attentive and compassionate in order to move in the direction of correcting this serious plight.
Are you a Victim of Medical Errors or Negligence?
If you or a loved one have suffered as a result of a medical error, or perhaps negligence or abuse at a nursing home or long term care facility, you’ll need the help of nursing home abuse or medical malpractice attorney.
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.
Let us get you the compensation you deserve.
Seven month old Tressel was the only child to Scott and Emilie Meinardi. The baby had been living with heart issues since birth, and was to undergo a procedure at the Cincinatti Children’s Hospital that would correct one of the issues. During the procedure, however, a technician made a heart breaking mistake. Instead of flushing the infant’s system with saline solution, the medical staff member used alcohol. Obviously, sending alcohol through a tiny baby’s body had dire consequences. Tressel died that day.
This medical malpractice is not un-like an error that occured in a hospital not too long ago, when a baby was accidently given morphine. Errors like these are absolutely preventable, and staff members need to stop and look at what could be causing these tragedies. Simply confusing alcohol for saline has cost an infant their life, and parents their only child.
Medical Malpractice and the Mininno Law Office
It’s hard to imagine the kind of pain that Tressel’s family must now be dealing with. Medical Malpractice takes the lives of many patients, and something must be done to help prevent it. Doctors and hospitals must suffer consequences for the avoidable mistakes that are made.
If you have suffered loss due to medical malpractice, or are a victim of medical malpractice yourself, contact the Mininno Law Office. We offer a free case evaluation.
We also offer a free consultation if you call (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia.
While we help you get the compensation you deserve, you can help motivate doctors and hospital adminstrators to work harder to prevent mistakes like these.
Max DeVries died after complications arose from a fall off of the operating table during a routine procedure in a Minnesota hospital. Max DeVries, 61, had a stroke and was admittied to St. Joseph’s Hospital in St. Paul, Minnesota. Days later he was scheduled for a lumbar drain replacement. While under anesthesia, Max rolled off of the operating table, hitting his head on an area where doctors had previously removed part of his skull to relieve inflammation of his brain.
The fall resulted in severe bleeding on the brain. Mr. DeVries was taken to have a CT scan of the brain, and died on April 13th of a massive stroke. DeVries’ family believes that his death was caused by the fall in the operating room. When hospital staff alerted DeVries family of the accident, they said that the restraints used to hold him in were not strong enough to hold an obese man. Max DeVries was 5’5 and weighed around 300lbs.
The DeVries family and their medical malpractice attorney assert that St. Joseph’s Hospital was not equipped or properly prepared to safely handle someone of Max’s size. Their medical malpractice lawsuit also states that Max DeVries’ weight and stature were not uncommon among stroke victims.
St. Joseph’s released a statement explaining that they take very seriousley what happened in that operating room, and express their sincerest condolences to the family. They go on to speak of their immaculate record concerning patient safety, and their practices to constantly implement new ways to improve patient safety.
Medical Malpractice in NJ or PA: Mininno Law Office
In the end, St. Joseph’s Hospital failed Mr. DeVries. He went into the OR for a routine procedure and lost his life due to severe negligence. Failing restraints and an unsuitably sized bed should never be the reason someone dies inside a hospital. Max DeVries and his family trusted that establishment to improve his health and send him home.
This type of medical malpractice and negligence can not go unnoticed. Hospitals are meant to care for us to the best of their abilities. It seems that while the doctors at St. Joseph’s are very able, the establishment itself was ill-equipped.
If you or a loved one have suffered due to medical malpractice or medical negligence, do not be silent. Seek out the help of a Medical Malpractice attorney immediately. Waiting can only hurt you, as your statue of limitations is running out. Contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation, or call us for a free consultation at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia.
Let us help you get the compensation that you deserve.
Alexis Richie (right) with her mentor, showing off a home made ice cream sundaes they made together in 2005. SSM DePaul Health Center in Bridgeton, Missouri finds themselved under fire for medical malpractice, after a hainous event that took place last October. Sixteen year old Alexis Richie, a patient in the psychiatric ward of the hospital, suffocated and died when caretakers restrained and sedated her face down in a bean bag chair.
Alexis Richie was a foster child from the time she was 7 years old, bouncing around between families and institutions. A troubled past included incidents of sexual abuse, as well as a suicide attempt at age 11. Alexis would act out in violent fits, and many times cause physical harm to others. She was admitted to the psychiatric ward at the SSM DePaul Health Center on October 16, 2009 after stabbing a teacher at Evangelical Children’s Home with a pencil.
During her 10 day stay at DePaul, Alexis was sedated and restrained frequently. Her outbursts put herself and others in danger. In therapy, she knew she needed to behave because she wanted to return to her foster home for her 17th birthday.
On the night of October 26th, an aide named Leon Harriel told Alexis to head back to the girls hall for bedtime, and Alexis cursed at him. She became unruly and violent, and Harriel , along with another aide, Mike Manetta, grabbed Alexis by her arms and took her to a small room, where they laid her face down on a bean bag chair. Alexis continued to fight the aides, and Nurse Pam Wooten entered the room with shots of Geodon and Ativan. Wooten injected the drugs into Alexis and left the room to get arm restraints. Harriel and Manetta told Alexis they would let go of her if she calmed down, and which point she became limp. At that point, Harriel and Manetta simply stood up and left the room. They did not check her pulse or her breathing, or even help her turn around to be face up on the chair.
Minutes later, Wooten returned and Harriel told her Alexis had calmed down. She did not re-enter the room to check on the girl. The charge nurse, Iris Blanks, was making rounds and asked about the status of Alexis. Harriel said she had passed out after receiving the sedative shots. Blanks entered the room and called Alexis’ name to no response. Blanks checked vital signs; pulse weak, pupils fixed, reflexes gone. She was soaked in her own urine. The team tried to revive the girl, but it had been 12 minutes since she first “went limp.” It was too late. Alexis was pronounced dead at 10:06 pm.
So far, charges have not been filed against the caretakers, as the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office said there were too many people involved to determine who was responsible.
The Team’s Response to Alexis’s Condition
Alexis’ biological family has hired an attorney who is investigating the case. This story is an example of gross medical malpractice and negligence. The caretakers response to Alexis’ state when Blanks found her was horrid. Blanks should have immediately started CPR, but instead left the room to get a flashlight and blood pressure machine. She left a second time to get a stethoscope, and to retrieve Nurse Wooten. Wooten came in and tried to wake Alexis up, who was not responding. She called a code blue at the nurses station, and an emergency team entered the room. It took the doctor 9 minutes to put the breathing tube down Alexis’ throat. The team’s response was not at all satisfactory, and Iris Blanks was fired immediately.
The SSM DePaul Health Center has a lot of work to do to make sure their staff is qualified and ready to handle emergencies such as this, and to be able enough to not cause emergencies like this, as happened in this case.
Mininno Law Office and Medical Malpractice
At the Mininno Law Office, medical malpractice cases are taken very seriousley. Alexis should not have died due to the negligence of doctors who felt no need to check up on her after pinning her down and injecting her with sedatives.
If you or a loved one have been victimized by medical malpractice or medical negligence, do not hesitate to contact the Mininno Law Office. Our New Jersey and Philadelphia Medical Malpractice Attorneys are here to work for you, and to get you the compensation you deserve. Call us at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia.
CT scanners are using unnecessarily high levels of radiation in brain perfusion scans, and causing hairloss, burns, scabs, and other worse complications.This past Sunday, The New York Times published a story on CT Scans and the damage they may be causing to patients. It seems the scanners are emitting dangerous and harmful levels of radiation when patients are getting CT brain perfusion scans, a scan often used to test for strokes. This particular test is exposing patients to radiation overdoses at levels that can cause burns, scabs, significant hair loss, cancer, or even brain damage.
Last summer, after a large number of radiation overdoses began emerging, the FDA set off an investigation into why patients were being bombarded with excess radiation. They have yet to publish findings.
The New York Times investigation found that , nationwide, upwards of 400 patients received radiation overdoses in only 8 hospitals. Six of those hospitals are located in California. A health official in California believes that more cases will undoubtedly surface once other states begin to look into the issue. The Times determined that it is relatively unclear why the overdoses are taking place.
Blame could fall on the shoulders of the technicians, who are not properly using the equipment, or the manufacturers of the equipment, who provide poor design and inadequate training. GE Healthcare, one manufacturer of the scanner, suggests to technicians higher levels of radiation for clearer images, a practice that one expert said is unjustified and potentially dangerous.
Affected By a Radiation Overdose? Contact the Mininno Law Office
Depending on what further investigation determines is the catalyst for these radiation overdoses, victims could potentially file medical malpractice or product liabilty claims. Radiation is a dangerous technology that must be handled with extreme care. Four hundred patients in 8 hospitals suffering from excessive radiation levels is proposterous.
If you or a loved believe you are suffering from the effects of a radiation overdose, contact the Mininno Law Office. Our New Jersey medical malpractice and defective product attorneys will help in any way possible to determine if you have a case. Contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation, or call us for a free consultation at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia.
Let us help you get the compensation you deserve.
27 Never Events - Occurences that should never take place within the walls of a healthcare facility.
The National Quality Forum is a non-profit organization that aims to improve the quality of healthcare for all americans.
The forum aims to do that through pursuit of three seperate missions:
Setting national priorities and goals for performance improvement;
Endorsing national consensus standards for measuring and publicly reporting on performance; and
Promoting the attainment of national goals through education and outreach programs.
NQF’s membership consists of a wide variety of healthcare stakeholders: consumer oraganizations, public and private purchasers, nurses, physicians, hospitals, healthcare researchers, and quality improvement organizations.
The NQF has recently published a list of 27 “never events” in healthcare. “Never Events“ refer to events that, rightly, should never happen. Most of the events on the list would happen when a patient is being cared for at a healthcare facility, and constitue as medical malpractice and negligence or nursing home abuse.
A few of the events could happen within a patient’s home. Below is a list of the NQF’s 27 “Never Events.”
1. Surgery performed on the wrong body part 2. Surgery performed on the wrong patient 3. Performing the wrong surgical procedure on a patient (conducive to symptoms) 4. Retention of a foreign object ina patient after surgery or other procedure 5. Intraoperative or immediately post-operative death in a normal, healthy patient. 6. Patient death or serious disability associated with the use of contaminated drugs, devices, or biologics provided by the healthcare facility. 7. Patient death or serious disability associated with the use or function of a device in patient care in which the device is used or functions other than as intended. 8. Patient death or serious disability associated with intravascular air embolism that occurd while being cared for in a healthcare facility. 9. Infant discharged to the wrong person. 10. Patient death ot serious disability associated with the partient disappearance for more than four hours. 11. Patient death or serious disability associated with a medication error. 12. Patient suicide or attempted suicide resulting in serious disability, while being cared for in a healthcare facility. 13. Patient death or serious disability associated with a hemolytic reaction due to transfusion of the wrong blood type. 14. Maternal death or serious disability associated with a medication error. 15. Patient death or serious disability associated with hypoglycemia, the onset of which occurs while the patient is being cared for in a healthcare facility. 16. Death or serious disabilty associated with the failure to identify and treat jaundice in newborns. 17. Stage 3 or 4 bedsores or pressure sores acquired after admission to a healthcare facility. 18. Patient death or serious disability due to spinal manipulatice therapy. 19. Patient death or serious disability associated with an electric shock while being cared for in a healthcare facility. 20. Any incident in which a line designated for oxygen or other gas to be delivered to a patient contains the wrong gas or is contaminated by toxic substances. 21. Patient death or serious disability associated with a burn incurred from any source while being cared for in a healthcare facility. 22. Patient death associated with a fall while being cared for in a healthcare facility. 23. Patient death or serious disability associated with the use of restraints or bedrails while being cared for in a healthcare facility. 24. Any instance of care ordered by or provided by someone impersonating a physician, nurse, pharmacist, or other licensed healthcare provider. 25. Abduction of a patient at any age. 26. Sexual assault of a patient within or on the grounds of a healthcare facility. 27. Death or significant injury of a patient or staff member resulting from a physical assault that occurs within or on the grounds of a healthcare facility.
Medical Malpractice or Nursing Home Abuse in NJ or PA?
These “never events” are sure instances of medical malpractice, and in some cases, nursing home abuse. If you or a loved one have experienced any of the events on the list, you should contact a NJ Medical Malpractice or Nursing Home Abuse attorney.
The team at the Mininno Law Office is ready to help you get the compensation you deserve. For a free case evaluation, contact the Mininno Law Office. Or simply call at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia.
The board in charge of reviewing medical malpractice & negligence in New Jersey threw out over 90% of complaints against surgeons and physicians last year. The board received 1,017 complaints per the 33,000 licensed practicioners in New Jersey. Those complaints resulted in only 45 license suspensions and 24 license revocations or volunteer surrenders. The Public Citizen, a national, non-profit organization dedicated to consumer advocacy, says that the NJ Board is not being diligent or pro-active enough in taking action against negligent and careless practicioners. Dr. Sidney M. Wolfe, the group’s health director, says:
“There are other states around the same size that consistently discipline more doctors.”
The Public Citizen compared the number of disciplinary actions taken with the number of doctors in every state and determined that New Jersey placed 40th among 50 states and Washington D.C. when it came to placing sanctions on doctors. It wasn’t much of a change from their ranking as 41st in the country last year. Dr. Paul C. Mendelowitz, president of NJ’s Medical Board, declined to comment on the low rate of doctor discipline. Complaints are not public record.
“I don’t get the sense that the board does very much in the way of oversight,” said Chatham Lawyer David Freid. The board’s lack of tenacity in disciplining negligent doctors gives doctors no reason to pay more attention to the quality of care they provide. Hopefully, New Jersey does not become a haven for negligent and careless doctors.
New Jersey Medical Malpractice and the Mininno Law Office
Medical Malpractice is very serious issue. If you or a loved one have been negatively affected by the negligence or mistakes of a doctor or surgeon in New Jersey, you’ll need to seek the assistance of a qualified New Jersey Medical Malpractice & Negligence Attorney. At the Mininno Law Office, our Medical Malpractice Attorneys will work hard to get you the compensation you deserve. Contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation, or call us for a free consultation at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia. Let us help you receive the recoveries you are owed.
Vincent Liew died 7 months after receiving a kidney transplant from a cancer infected donor.
A medical malpracticesuit ended in heartbreak for a Queens woman when the NYU Langone Medical Center was found not liable for the death of her husband after a kidney transplant.
The Story Behind Liew’s Medical Malpractice Case
Vincent Liew was 37 years old when he received a call from the hospital that they had a finally found him a matching kidney. He had been awaiting the kidney for five years, and was receiving dialysis treatments three times a week. On February 25, 2002, Vincent underwent the transplant, the organ coming from 50 year old Sandy Cabrera who died of a stroke the day before.
The surgery was successful, and everything was fine. That is, until Sandy Cabrera’s autopsy six weeks later. The medical examiner who performed the autopsy notified Liew’s doctors that Cabrera had an aggressive uterine cancer that had started to spread to her lungs. Upon discovery of the information, Liew’s doctors assured both him and his wife Kim that they were 99.9% sure that Vincent would not acquire the disease. Their reasoning being that the cancer was from an organ that Liew did not have, and therefore it was highly unlikely he would become sick. Four months later, doctors found a cancerous tumor on Liew’s new kidney. The kidney was removed, but Liew was dying.
He died three weeks later; cancer acquired from the donor his cause of death. Kim Liew sued the hospital for medical malpractice, but lost. The Queens jury found that the hospital and Liew’s doctors provided the best possible care. Though it seems they took a chance on him, and lost. They gambled with a man’s life. Two other patients who received organs from Cabrera also died.
Who is to blame for Medical Malpractice?
Transplanting organs ravaged by cancer is most definitely an instance of medical malpractice. Perhaps the doctors who performed the surgery are not liable. But what about the doctors who screened the patients before their eligibility for organ donation? What about the company that harvested the organs? A man has lost his life, a wife her husband, because of a gross case of negligence. This kind of medical malpractice can not go unpunished. If you or a loved one have suffered from what you believe is a case of medical malpractice or negligence, than do not hesitate to contact the medical malpractice attorneys at the Mininno Law Office. We are here to help you through this difficult time, and to get you the compensation you deserve. Contact us for a free case evaluation, or call us at 856-833-0600, or 215-567-2380 in Philadelphia.
Medical Malpractice in the operating room certainly led to Keith's worsened condition, but the Ohio Supreme Court decided otherwise. Keith Theobald was a healthy and fit father of two, until an elderly driver clipped the back of his pick up truck and sent Keith and his car flying over 4 lanes of traffic and into a patch of standing trees. EMT’s quickly arrived at the crash site and found Keith hanging upside down in a tree. He was paralyzed from the chest down. In the hospital, Keith was alert and still had the use of his arms. He and his wife came to terms with his new condition, and were looking ahead to a difficult, but fulfilling life.
Keith’s doctors told him that an operation might be able to improve his condition, so Keith underwent the surgery. Keith woke up from surgery still paralyzed but now he was blind in both eyes and could no longer use his arms. Doctor’s records proved that a series of mistakes made during the surgery led to oxygen deprivation, causing Keith’s blindness and extended paralysis. Keith, now blind and completely paralyzed, needs ‘round-the-clock care for the rest of his life.
Ohio Supreme Court Ruling
The Theobalds went to Court and sought to recover damages from Keith’s doctors. Despite the overwhelming evidence of medical malpractice, The Ohio Supreme Court ruled 6-1 that the doctors were immune from any and all lawsuits – no matter what. The Court found that because there were medical students watching and helping during the operation, the doctors who performed the surgery were acting within their realm of state employment as teachers with the University of Cincinnati, and were therefore immune to medical malpractice suits.
That’s right, highly paid doctors and surgeons who agree to assist a State University in teaching med students (without compensation) are considered state employees, just like DMV folks who process our license applications, the road department workers who paint and repair our highways and state prison guards – all of whom get paid directly by the state with tax dollars.
Although these doctors were not being paid like state employees, the Court’s ruling gave them the same immunity from suits that most state workers in Ohio got. Unbeknownst to Keith, by going to these doctors, he was giving up his personal rights to a jury trial in the Court of Common Pleas. The Theobalds were told they had to take the case to the Court of Claims, meaning:
• No jury presence
• State appointed judges that issue rulings for and against the state
• Award cap of $250,000, regardless of severity of damages
• Taxpayers will foot the bill, not the Doctors insurance companies
In the 6-1 decision, called The Theobald Ruling, the dissenting justice argued (unsuccessfully) that the immunity was meant for mistakes that students made, not mistakes that teaching surgeons made. He also argued that patients should be alerted when procedures are to be performed by “state employed” physicians, and that they are indeed surrendering their right to go to Court should something go wrong. The ruling stated otherwise.
In a heartbreaking ending, The Theobalds never saw their day in court. After a lengthy ordeal with the Court of Common Pleas, the Theobalds finally filed suit in the Court of Claims, only to be denied again because the statute of limitations had run out on their claim. Keith and his wife Jacqueline received no compensation for injuries sustained due to medical malpractice, and must now face his injuries with no monetary help from here on out. Is this justice?
If You Believe You are a Victim of Medical Malpractice, You Must Act Quickly!
New Jersey and Philadelphia medical malpractice attorneys will continue to fight for victims of medical malpractice. If you or a loved one have been affected by medical malpractice, you need to act soon. Don’t let a statute of limitations be the reason you do not receive due compensation.Contact us to fill out a free case evaluation form or call us for a free consultation at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia.
Amidst all the talk of so called tort reform and “frivolous lawsuits” comes a study by the Public Citizen, a non profit organization based in Washington D.C. that represents consumer interests through lobbying, litigation, research, and public education. The study illustrates the decline in medical malpractice payments since 1999.
In 2008, the number of malpractice payments was the lowest it’s been since the formation of the federal government’s National Practitioner Data Bank, which has tracked medical malpractice payments since 1990. 2008 was the third consecutive year that medical malpractice payments sunk to an all time low.
Unfortunately, the decline in payments has nothing to do with a reduction in medical errors and everything to do with the increase in the number of victims not being compensated. This also means that there are fewer incentives for doctors and nurses to reduce errors. According to a 1999 study done by the Institute of Medicine entitled “To Err is Human,” an estimated 44,000 to 98,000 hospital patients are killed every year due to avoidable medical mistakes.
Yet fewer than 15,000 malpractice payments were made in 1999. Those numbers DO NOT include the number of patients who suffered serious, non-fatal injuries. The large gap between the victims and the compensated has likely grown larger since 1999, as there is no evidence that any meaningful improvements to medical safety have been made.
In a series of graphs and charts, the Public Citizen thoroughly demonstrates the fall in malpractice payments in the last decade. In five years, there was a loss of 3,336 medical malpractice payments made on behalf of physicians. That means that while the number of victimized patients was rising, the number of those patients being compensated was falling. Studies since the 1970’s show that medical errors greatly outnumber lawsuits.
Perhaps the kind of reform that would greatly reduce the legal liability of our health care system is not the kind of reform that’s needed. It seems that medical errors are shockingly prevalent. Problems should be fixed at their source. Eliminating medical errors, rather than reforming our tort system, should be a goal of priority.
It’s been easy to drum up support for so called tort reform by blaming our health care woes on medical malpractice cases and “junk lawsuits,” but the numbers tell a very different story. In 2006, medical malpractice payments accounted for between .18 and .58 percent of all health care costs. 2006 is the most recent year with all of the necessary information available to make these comparisons.
Medical malpractice is a very serious issue, and something that is affecting patients everyday. Most doctors are wonderful and care tremendously for their patients. They are careful and follow well established rules of the medical profession to prevent errors.
However, a very small minority are not so caring and do not follow the rules. It is the mission of a trial attorney to represent those victimized by medical malpractice and earn them the compensation they deserve.
The trial attorneys at Mininno Law Firm want to help you get the compensation you deserve. If you or a loved one have recently suffered due to medical malpractice, you must act quickly! A two year statute of limitations can prevent you from being able to hold liable those who have harmed you. Contact the Mininno Law Firm or call us at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia.
A recently published study estimated that the annual cost of medical errors in the U.S. in 2008 was $19.5 billion dollars.
Seven month old Tressel was the only child to Scott and Emilie Meinardi. The baby had been living with heart issues since birth, and was to undergo a procedure at the Cincinatti Children’s Hospital that would correct one of the issues. During the procedure, however, a technician made a heart breaking mistake. Instead of flushing the infant’s system with saline solution, the medical staff member used alcohol. Obviously, sending alcohol through a tiny baby’s body had dire consequences. Tressel died that day.
The board in charge of reviewing 
