The parents of an Illinois child whose leg was amputated shortly after birth as a result of hospital malpractice has won their lawsuit and been awarded a hefty settlement of $22.3 million.

In May 1999 Jake Tinman, now 10 years old, was born with a congenital heart defect that required a procedure to insert a shunt.  The medical malpractice lawsuit claims that due to a series of delays and negligent care by hospital staff, the child was forced to have his left leg amputated.  Court documents claim that the leg was improperly dressed after surgery.  Tinman’s parents also claim that the delay in treatment their son received is the cause of his developmental delays and cognitive deficiencies.

Among the accusations of negligence, the lawsuit claims that hospital staff:

• Failed to make a timely diagnosis of the patient’s shunt problem
• Did not properly apply the pressure dressing to the patient’s leg
• Failed to remove the pressure dressing from the patient’s leg in a timely manner
• Improperly subjected the patient to cardiac catheterization
• Failed to monitor the patient’s pulse
• Improperly destroyed an echocardiogram

The jury that heard the case sided with the Tinmans and found the hospital and its staff negligent in their treatment of Jake.  The trial lasted just three weeks.

Hospital malpractice is serious business.  Jake is lucky to have survived his ordeal, but now he and his family must deal with a host of medical problems that otherwise wouldn’t exist had he been properly cared for by the medical professionals that were in charge of his treatment.  Thankfully in this case, the hospital is being held responsible for their actions (and inactions).  If you have been harmed by a hospital doctor or nurse, you too may be eligible for compensation for your damages.  Contact a medical attorney right away to find out more.

In a shocking case of negligence, a young woman is suing a Nevada hospital for medical malpractice after she claims they failed to treat her and sent her home where she later delivered a premature baby that died.

According to the lawsuit, Roshunda Abney and her boyfriend, Raffinee Dewberry, went to the emergency room at University Medical Center because Abney was experiencing severe abdominal pain.  She didn’t know at the time that she was pregnant.  Abney and her boyfriend were forced to wait for six hours with no treatment, while she was begging to be seen.  Other patients also waiting were pleading with staff to help her, some even offering to let her go ahead of them.

After six hours with no assistance, the couple left UMC and went to nearby Valley Hospital instead, hoping for speedier medical attention.  Abney alleges that they were told by Valley employees not to expect faster service there.

The couple after having spent nearly the entire day waiting for medical treatment, finally gave up and went home.  Shortly thereafter, Abney delivered a premature baby girl in the bathroom, who was transported to UMC where she was pronounced dead.  She weighed only 1 pound 6 ounces.

In response to the incident, UMC has suspended six employees and is in the process of termination proceedings.  Valley Hospital, on the other hand, is denying any wrongdoing.

Medical negligence doesn’t only happen in the doctor’s office.  It can happen anywhere, including hospital emergency rooms.  And hospital malpractice can have a much graver outcome than other forms of negligence.  A medical lawyer can help determine whether hospital malpractice occurred and how to proceed if it did.

The family of a New York man who suffered a heart attack while waiting to be seen at the Maimonides Medical Center is suing for hospital malpractice and medical negligence.

Jacob Goldbrunner began experiencing chest pains and was taken to the hospital in July 2008 to undergo a procedure to assess and treat his heart disease called a cardiac catheterization.  While waiting to be seen, Goldbrunner’s family states that it became increasingly obvious that there were serious concerns with the medical facility and its staff.

Initially, the key to the lab could not be located.  The staff then had problems locating an anesthesiologist to prepare Mr. Goldbrunner for the test.  Perhaps most alarming is the family’s testimony that one staff member wasn’t even able to tell them where the lab was located within the hospital.

While waiting, Goldbrunner’s condition worsened yet nobody on staff was able to attend to him.  The Goldbrunners waited for five hours with no medical attention.  Goldbrunner then suffered a heart attack right in front of doctors and medical staff.

The family was even more dismayed when they were finally escorted to the lab area only to find out that the key had still not been located so the testing could not be done.  It is these delays and lack of care that the family claims ultimately caused Goldbrunner’s death.

As if the neglect and lack of medical attention weren’t enough, according to records, the medical staff finally attempted to treat Goldbrunner’s failing heart by inserting a tube meant to deliver oxygen to his heart and lungs.  The tube, which was supposed to be placed in the patient’s lung, was inserted into his stomach in error.

The situation turned tragic when Mr. Goldbrunner was sent to a different medical facility to undergo a critically needed heart transplant.  He arrived via ambulance, only to find out that the heart he’d been told would be waiting for him was not available.

Goldbrunner died two weeks later at the age of 52.

The family is currently awaiting a court date for their medical malpractice lawsuit.  Further information will be relayed once it becomes available.

Most people were horrified to hear about the terrible case of hospital malpractice that happened to actor Dennis Quaid and his wife Kimberly when they were at Cedars-Siani Medical Center for the birth of their children in 2007.  And on some levels, it was shocking to see how these types of tragic cases really can happen to anybody, even famous people.

The Quaid family filed a lawsuit against the hospital based on the fact that in November 2007 their newborn twins, Thomas Boone and Zoe Grace, were accidentally given a near-fatal dose of the blood thinner Heparin.  The infants spent weeks fighting for their lives after the disastrous mistake.  Thankfully they survived and are now said to be in good health.

After much negotiation between the parties, the Quaids decided to settle in the amount of $750,000.

Additionally, the California Department of Public Health has fined Cedars-Sinai $25,000 for the error.

In a separate lawsuit, the Quaids are suing the makers of Heparin, Baxter Healthcare Corp., for negligence due to the fact that the vials used for adult doses are similar to pediatric doses, making errors more likely to occur.

In many cases, such as this, hospital malpractice can nearly cost someone their life.  It must be taken seriously and dealt with severely.  Talk with a medical attorney if you think you or a loved one may have been a victim of hospital malpractice to find out what your rights are.

The South Dakota Supreme Court recently granted a new trial to a woman who suffered from complications following a gall bladder surgery in 2001.  Lillian Glanzer claimed hospital malpractice against her surgeon, Dr. Richard Reed, however he was found not to be negligent in the original trial last year.

Glanzer underwent laparoscopic surgery to remove her gall bladder, during which the doctor had to cut through some scar tissue to insert the instrument into her abdomen.  The surgery resulted in some complications and it was eventually discovered that Ms. Glanzer’s bowel had been perforated.

Because the doctor failed to diagnose this until four days after the surgery, the patient had to undergo multiple additional surgeries and a lengthy recovery time.  Glanzer brought a hospital malpractice suit, in which the jury ruled in the favor of the hospital and Dr. Reed.

The verdict was appealed and on October 30^th, the Supreme Court ruled that Glanzer deserves a new trial.  The basis for the new trial is that the judge in the original trial failed to instruct the jury on how to view a doctor’s judgement and how it can relate to negligence.  The failure to give this instruction to the jury may have unfairly influenced their decision.

Hospital malpractice doesn’t necessarily occur every time a doctor makes an error.  However, when a doctor or medical professional uses only his or her judgement in determining a diagnosis (or lack thereof) rather than by medical means, it can often result in a case of malpractice.

It is undetermined when Ms. Glanzer’s new trial will begin.