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Recent Blog Posts
Hospital-Acquired Infections Associated With Inova Health Systems
When you're ill or injured the right thing to do is to see your doctor in order to get well, right? Unfortunately, for many patients, the healing process is stalled when they acquire additional infections, illnesses, and conditions as a direct result of being in the hospital.
A new program run by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Systems (CMS) has penalized 721 hospitals nationwide for providing substandard patient care when it comes to hospital-acquired infections (HAI). One of the hospitals on the list was Northern Virginia's very own Inova Fairfax Hospital in Falls Church.
In order to increase patient care and awareness, CMS has fined all of the hospitals on the list by denying them 1% of Medicare and Medicaid payments. However, the fact remains that HAIs are currently a large problem for the hospital. This is why it is important for you know that there is a risk and to know the types of infections that are common in cases such as these.
Common HAIs to Be Aware of
Apology Rights For Medical Malpractice Injuries: The Atonement You Deserve
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, nearly 60,000 medical malpractice cases are reported every year in the United States. In addition to this number however, the DHHS estimates that a staggering 86% of malpractice incidents go unreported. This means that the true number of cases is closer to 430,000 a year.
Although not all of these incidents cause major bodily harm, and some are mere miscommunications, the fact that they exist is alarming. You should be able to trust your physician and hospital 100% of the time, and they should realize that their care should be perfect 100% of the time. We realize that everyone makes mistakes now and again. However, healthcare professionals know that the consequences of their mistakes can be fatal, and are therefore judged at a higher standard.
Unfortunately, a recent study performed by the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine suggests that the higher the standard is for doctors, the less remorse is shown when a mistake is made.
What Kind Of Medical Errors Constitute Gross Negligence?
When we're in the hospital, we're at our most vulnerable, and we expect hospitals and medical personnel to treat us with respect and care. And although most American medical professionals are attentive and dutiful caregivers, we as patients can still be victims of gross negligence while undergoing surgery.
Most people understand the concept of negligence. A person who is negligent has likely been careless without purposely intending to harm someone. Gross negligence is more serious and goes beyond carelessness to include reckless, unreasonable, or willful misconduct by a person. Gross negligence is the total disregard to exercise due care that can lead to property damage or personal injury. It is behavior that "shocks the conscience"-behavior or a situation that seems grossly unjust to the observer.
Examples of Gross Negligence
Gross negligence is often easier to prove than most basic negligence cases because the actions in question may be obviously unreasonable and dangerous.
Safety Guidelines To Follow When Your Car Catches On Fire
Every year in the United States, over 200,000 cars catch on fire as a result of accidents, poor maintenance, and dangerous manufacturing defects. Although many of these fires are small and cause minimal damage, approximately 15 percent of them cause serious passenger injuries and fatalities due to smoke inhalation, burns, and concussive explosion forces. In addition, 25 percent of firefighter fatalities are attributed to vehicle fires due to fuel explosions.
Although you may feel that you and your family will never have to deal with a car fire, don't you think you should be prepared anyway? Isn't it better to be overly prepared and know what to do, rather than caught unaware and potentially putting the lives of your family at risk, all because you didn't think something like that would happen to you?
Don't get caught off guard. Take precautions. Be prepared, and make sure you know exactly what to do in the event of a car fire. You and your family will be glad that you did
Knowing What To Do When Harmed By Negligent Medical Professionals Can Make Or Break Your Medical Malpractice Case
After suffering harm at the hands of a negligent surgeon, doctor, nurse, anesthesiologist, technician, or other medical staff member, you may know you have a legal case but you might not know what to do first. Because it is essential for patients to know what to do when they are injured by medical mistakes, this article discusses what steps you need to take during an overwhelming and traumatic time such as this.
When you or a loved one has been injured by medical malpractice, knowing what steps to take-and how to take them in the right time frame-is key to your medical malpractice case. As we have previously discussed on our medical malpractice service area page, it is critical that patients take the following steps:
- Gather evidence by requesting medical records
- Know how long one has to file a legal claim
- Confirm the validity of a case through a certificate of merit
- Speak with an attorney
Taking the First Step
While these are all essential steps that victims of medical malpractice incidents should take, the most important step is calling a lawyer who has experience in handling medical malpractice cases. Whether you call our law office or another firm, it is in your best interest to discuss your potential case with an attorney who has been successful in representing other medical malpractice victims. Why? Because this is a very confusing time for victims and their families and many people aren't thinking logically. While it is normal to be emotional over the injuries or losses you suffered, you will want someone who knows the laws and knows how to stand up to Inova or another negligent hospital or party.
Breaking Down Medical Malpractice Damage Awards
Making an occasional mistake at work is unfortunately a common occurrence for many employees, no matter what their career. However, when you make a mistake, you learn from it and move on. No harm, no foul. Right? Well, this mentality is all well and good if you make a spelling error or forget to clock out when you've finished your shift. Unfortunately, doctors do not have the luxury of saying "Oops. Sorry. I'll do better next time." When a doctor makes a mistake, people end up permanently disabled or dead.
Unfortunately, medical "mistakes" (misdiagnosis, surgical error, negligence, mistakes in prescribing or administering medication, etc.) occur more often than you may think. Every year in Virginia, an average of 200 malpractice cases are brought to trial, with nearly 10 percent of them reaching settlements of over one million dollars. And these are only the cases that made it to trial. The actual number of malpractice incidents that occur each year is hotly debated, however, we can get an idea of the consequences of medical errors by looking at these documented court cases.
What Are The Dangers Of A Medical Misdiagnosis In Virginia?
How many times have you heard someone say, "I don't have time to be sick?"
Suffering after a Virginia misdiagnosis? Order our FREE book for more information:Do I Have A Case? A Patient's Guide to Virginia Medical Negligence Law
People in DC lead busy, fast-paced lives. We routinely underestimate physical symptoms of sickness, dismissing a headache as stress, back pain as stiffness from a work chair-even treat chronic stomach problems with over-the-counter medications. "It's probably nothing," we say, eager to return to work.
But if a doctor made this same statement, would we believe it? More importantly-should we?
Many patients in Virginia are suffering from a doctor's medical misdiagnosis-sometimes without even being aware of it. Often, a physician will diagnose patients with something far less serious that what they actually have, resulting in a lack of treatment that allows their condition to get worse.
Liability Exceptions That Cater To The Government While Hurting Your Claim
Last week during a "peaceful" protest at an air force base, you were pushed by another protester straight into a federal police officer. You tried to apologize and tell him it was a mistake, but he wasn't hearing it. Instead, he dragged you to a nearby police car. He ignored your pleas as you tried to explain what happened. Approaching the car, you pulled your arm out of his grip and told him you had a bad knee and it would be best if you got in the car on your own. He again ignored you, grabbed your arm once again and shoved you into the back of the car.
As your shoulder hit the seat, you heard your knee pop and an excruciating pain radiated up your leg. You screamed and begged the officer to help you with your leg, but he just slammed the door. You were forced to sit there for 45 minutes in blinding pain, until another officer came to check on you. He took a quick glance at your swollen leg and called an ambulance. It turned out that the forceful twisting of being thrown into the car caused your kneecap to become dislodged, tearing your tendons along with it.
The Many Types Of Organ Damage Due To Doctor Negligence
There are nearly 80 organs in the human body; each performing an important specific function to keep us alive and healthy. When any one of these organs malfunctions or fails, we are at risk of developing a serious disease or even dying. The brain, heart, lungs, liver, and kidneys are considered vital organs as their functioning is essential to keep us alive.
While organs can be damaged through disease, infection, and drug abuse, they can also be damaged due to surgical errors or medication mistakes caused by careless or negligent doctors and nurses. For example, organ damage can occur as a result of a doctor failing to diagnose a health condition or from a surgeon lacerating an organ during an unrelated operation. An error made in prescribing or administering a drug could also result in organ damage.
The Disabling Effects of Organ Damage
When certain mistakes are made as a result of medical negligence, organ damage can occur, which can result in the following disabling effects:
Dropping The Phone To Raise Awareness: Decreasing Texting And Driving Accidents
The smarter our cell phones get, the more distracting they become, especially when we are behind the wheel. Accidents caused by distracted driving have significantly increased over the past six years. According to the National Safety Council, driver cell phone use is responsible for 25% of all car crashes. Due to this drastic increase in risk to motorists, President Obama issued an executive order in 2009 banning texting while driving for all federal employees while on the job. His goal in issuing this order was to serve as an example to state leaders in the hopes that they would follow suit on a state level. Currently, 44 states ban text messaging for all drivers.
Unfortunately, state laws and federal examples can only go so far to combat the instinct to immediately answer a text. This is why, in order to protect yourself, your family, and your loved ones you must know the consequences of distracted driving and how to convey these dangers to your fellow motorists. It isn't enough to assume that others will keep your family's safety in mind when deciding whether to respond to a text. You must take action within your family and community if you want to help protect your loved ones.
703-591-0067
10513 Judicial Drive, Suite 200, Fairfax, VA 22030
703-591-0067
From our office in Fairfax, Shevlin Smith, P.C. serves clients throughout Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C., including Alexandria, Annandale, Arlington, Ashburn, Burke, Centreville, Dale City, Fair Oaks, Leesburg, Manassas, McLean, Oakton, Reston, Springfield, and Woodbridge, as well as Fairfax County, Arlington County, Fauquier County, Loudoun County, and Prince William County.
Results listed are not a guarantee or indication of future case results.
