Articles Posted in Hospital Negligence

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hospitalIf you or your loved one has been injured by a medical professional’s negligence, you may be entitled to compensation for your harm. At Arfaa Law Group, our Baltimore medical malpractice attorneys can provide aggressive legal representation to you throughout the process. We understand that dealing with an adverse health outcome can be stressful, which is why we will handle your case with the utmost compassion.

In a recent study conducted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) published in the journal mBio, scientists conducted a five-year study to explore the NIH hospital in Bethesda, Maryland to understand in a deeper way how hazardous, antibiotic-resistant bacteria live and develop. Often, bacteria thrive in hospital settings. Since very sick patients are sometimes treated with antibiotics of last resort, hospitals can become warehouses for multi-drug resistant bacteria, which can be easily transferred through tiny pieces of genetic material called “plasmids.” The NIH found that, many times, these plasmids live under the sink and in the plumbing. In fact, the bacteria from different sources mix and match, sharing their drug-resistant plasmid pieces.

The study found that the dangerous plasmids found in sewers and plumbing did not seem to be a contributing factor to increased infections among hospitalized patients. The safety protocols being taken at the hospital to control infections are working. However, while the bacteria from the plumbing is not reaching patients and increasing infection rates, there is still a huge storehouse of general material present in the plumbing and backwater of the hospital sewer system.

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hospitalNo one should be denied emergency medical care due to an inability or perceived inability to pay for it. If you or someone close to you has been injured due to patient dumping, a skilled Baltimore hospital negligence attorney can help. At Arfaa Law Group, we are dedicated to getting our clients the justice and compensation they deserve for their harm.

Earlier this year, a video showing four hospital security guards at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore dropping a patient off at a bus stop in freezing weather, wearing nothing but a hospital gown, went viral. The 22-year-old patient with Asperger Syndrome was a victim of “patient dumping.” Patient dumping can take place in a number of ways, including but not limited to situations in which a hospital:

    • Turns away someone in need of emergency care;
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nurseIf you have been injured due to a medical professional’s negligence, you need to reach out to a skilled Baltimore medical malpractice attorney who can help. At Arfaa Law Group, we are familiar with Maryland malpractice laws and can help you hold medical professionals accountable for the harm that they cause. You can rest assured that we can help you pursue the compensation you deserve for your losses.

A recent study by Syneos Health Communications examines bridging the gap in the conversation surrounding the use of technology in medicine. The study collected responses from patients being treated for Type 2 Diabetes, breast cancer, and atrial fibrillation. Of the 800 respondents, the vast majority felt that there was no substitute for a doctor. In fact, fewer than 20 percent reported seeing any benefit to their future health if health care was provided by AI-based solutions. The primary concern was that machines might miss things that a human doctor would catch. However, when it came to nurses, 64 percent of respondents thought technology could be very useful, since patients could have on-demand access to information and health monitoring and ask the questions they needed to ask.

As medical technology advances, it will play a greater role in patient care. While this can provide better care for patients, it can also create complex legal questions when it comes to malpractice. What happens when technology results in an injury to a patient or worsens a patient’s existing condition? While working with complicated technology, medical professionals are expected to provide competent care by using the technology properly. In short, if doctors are relying on technology, they have to be able to use it correctly. In cases in which this does not happen, a medical professional may be liable for medical malpractice.

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american flagThe Veterans Health Administration is the component of the United States Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) that, among other things, implements medical assistance programs for veterans. People who are eligible for VA health care benefit programs must have served in the active military, naval, or air service and left the service under any condition other than dishonorable. If you or someone close to you has been harmed due to the negligence of a VA doctor, you need to speak to a seasoned Baltimore hospital negligence attorney who can evaluate the facts of your case.

Unfortunately, medical malpractice at VA hospitals is more common than you may think. The VA pays out an average of $100 million each year to settle more than 3,000 medical malpractice lawsuits. According to a recent USA Today investigation, the Department of Veteran Affairs has knowingly hired doctors who had a history of misconduct allegations, licensing problems, malpractice accusations, and patient settlements.

Medical malpractice claims can have many causes, including:

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backThe spine is central to our ability to sense and function normally. As a result, spinal surgery is daunting, and dural tears during such surgery can have serious consequences. An incidental durotomy refers to small tears of the outer membrane of the spinal cord and is a common occurrence in spinal surgery. In some cases, the tear is unavoidable. In most cases in which a tear occurs, the surgeon will identify it and repair it in a second procedure without any long-term consequences to the patient. If the dural tear is undetected, however, it can cause serious health problems for a patient. If you or someone close to you has been injured due to a dural tear, it is important to reach out to a diligent Baltimore surgical error attorney who can help you pursue the compensation you deserve for your harm.

A recent study, entitled Medical Malpractice Claims Following Incidental Durotomy Due to Spinal Surgery, examined the role of durotomy in malpractice cases. The study found that delayed diagnosis and treatment of durotomy and improper durotomy repair correlated with risk of malpractice lawsuits and increased surgeon liability. In other words, medical malpractice claims arose when dural tears were not discovered in time and led to spinal fluid leaks and other conditions. The findings highlighted that claims involving minor tears did not result in a settlement as often, whereas dural tears that led to neurological complications or even death were more likely to be successful.

Surgical mistakes denote errors that are avoidable with proper care. Under Maryland law, individuals who have suffered harm due to a spinal surgery error can typically seek compensation through a medical malpractice claim. Medical malpractice is defined as a medical professional’s failure to follow the accepted standard of care for their specialty, resulting in patient harm. In other words, surgery malpractice takes place when a surgeon causes harm because his or her conduct deviated from the standard of care that a prudent surgeon performing the same spinal cord surgery would have used under the same circumstances. As a result, if a surgeon fails to recognize a dural tear and then does not perform a second operation to fix it, that surgeon would likely be liable for malpractice.

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wardUnfortunately, medical malpractice is common in Maryland and throughout the United States. If you were injured or you lost a loved one due to a medical professional’s error in a hospital setting, you may be able to seek compensation for your harm. At Arfaa Law Group, our seasoned Baltimore hospital malpractice attorney will thoroughly review the facts of your case and determine the viability of your claim.

The University of Maryland Medical Center, one of the nation’s oldest teaching hospitals, was recently found liable for medical malpractice in a case in which a patient was given a drug that destroyed his colon and ultimately led to his death.

The family of the deceased patient filed a claim against the hospital to seek damages for the death. The facts of the case are as follows. The patient was admitted to the hospital for kidney issues, and, during the treatment, he developed potassium levels that physicians noted were too high. To counteract the high potassium levels, physicians administered the drug Kayexalate.

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waiting roomIf you or someone close to you has been harmed by a physician’s negligence in a hospital setting, we can help. At Arfaa Law Group, our Baltimore hospital negligence attorneys understand how to navigate these types of claims and can put our knowledge to use in your case. You can rest assured that we will scrutinize the facts of your case and come up with a strategy to effectively respond to any motions for summary judgment that you may face in the process.

Under Maryland law, a party is entitled to summary judgment only when there is “no genuine issue as to any material fact, and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” Put another way, the proponent of summary judgment must make a prima facie showing of their entitlement to summary judgment as a matter of law by demonstrating the absence of any material issues of fact in the case. Essentially, summary judgment is appropriate when the moving party establishes that the opposing party cannot win, even if all credibility conflicts are resolved in the opposing party’s favor. For instance, if a jurisdiction requires the plaintiff in a medical malpractice claim to produce an expert witness to establish the case, summary judgment may be proper if a plaintiff cannot produce a qualified expert.

This is actually what happened in the case of Hannon, et al. v. Mercy Medical Center, in which the Court of Special Appeals of Maryland affirmed the trial court granting summary judgment to the defendants in a Maryland medical malpractice case, prior to the scheduled trial, holding that the plaintiff failed to secure a medical expert to testify on their behalf during trial. This was sufficient reason for the trial court to grant the defendant’s motion for summary judgment.

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medicineHealth care providers, such as doctors and nurses, play a vital role in a patient’s treatment and recovery. When these health care providers make a medication error, it can have serious and long-term consequences for a patient’s health. If you or someone close to you was adversely affected by a medication error, you may be able to hold the at-fault party accountable and recover compensation for your harm. At Arfaa Law Group, our Baltimore prescription error attorneys can explore the facts of your case and advise you of your legal rights and options accordingly.

A recent study published by Clinical Toxicology reported that medication errors leading to adverse outcomes have doubled from the year 2000 to 2012. Unfortunately, medical professionals are responsible for 1.5 million medication errors each year in the United States, according to a report by The Institute of Medicine of the National Academics. These errors are often injurious to patients, leading to emergency situations, hospital stays, and, in some cases, even death. In fact, more people die each year from medication errors than from workplace injuries, as highlighted by the National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention.

Overall, the most common types of medication mistakes involved taking or giving the wrong medication or an incorrect dosage, as well as accidentally taking or giving the medication twice. These medication errors were also very common among children. Approximately one-third of medication errors resulted in hospital admission.

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operating roomSurgery is daunting and stressful enough without the prospect of something going wrong. A patient’s blood pressure should be monitored during and after surgery to make sure it does not reach unsafe levels, which can cause serious health risks. If you or someone close to you has been injured due to a medical professional’s failure to maintain blood pressure, you need to seek the help of a seasoned Baltimore medical negligence attorney who can assess the merits of your case.

Blood pressure measures the force of the heart pump at delivering oxygen-rich blood to the tissues. When blood pressure is too high, the heart has to work too hard to deliver blood. When blood pressure is too low, the heart is not pushing blood through the body with enough force for sufficient blood circulation. During a surgical procedure, anesthesiologists must monitor patients’ blood pressure to make sure it remains steady and stable. When blood pressure is not properly monitored, parts of your body may not be getting enough blood, leading to paralysis or amputations. After surgery, patients need to be monitored to avoid potentially lethal post-op complications.

The failure of an anesthesiologist to act reasonably may be considered medical malpractice if it results in harm to the patient. Put another way, medical malpractice occurs when a health care provider causes an injury or death to a patient by failing to act how a reasonably prudent health care provider in the same specialty would have acted in the same or similar circumstances. The causal connection between the health care provider’s actions or lack thereof and the harm suffered by the patient is typically the key to winning these cases.

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IVIntravenous (IV) therapy involves infusing liquid (i.e., blood or medication) directly into a vein. Unfortunately, the fluid in IV bags can become contaminated with bacteria that can adversely affect a patient’s health. If you or someone close to you has been injured or harmed by IV fluid contamination, you may be able to recover damages through a medical malpractice claim. At Arfaa Law Group, our seasoned Baltimore medical malpractice lawyers can examine the circumstances of your injury and determine who was at fault.

In recent years, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has investigated a number of instances of IV bag and fluid contamination. If IV bags are not properly sterilized and stored correctly, they can be a breeding ground for bacterial growth. When such contaminated fluids enter a patient’s bloodstream through an IV, the patient may suffer negative health consequences, including but not limited to:

  • Fever;
  • Flu-like illness;
  • Tachycardia;
  • Respiratory problems;
  • Sepsis;
  • Septic shock;
  • Endocarditis; or
  • Death.

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