A member of my family has died and I now need the advice of a personal injury attorney in Pennsylvania. Can you tell me what documents to bring to our meeting / how I can prepare?

Losing a loved one is the hardest thing to deal with and you have our sincerest sympathies. To help make your meeting with a Pennsylvania personal injury attorney go as smoothly as possible in this trying time, do your best to collect some or all of the following: An original death certificate, which can be provided by the funeral home A bill from the funeral home, marked ‘fully paid’ If an autopsy has been performed, let us know and we can look into it Some basic information on any doctors the loved one has visited in recent years Some basic information on family members A copy of your loved one’s will, if one was made Any and all of your loved one’s medical records There is more information you can bring but this is a fine start. If you have any questions regarding these materials and anything else you’d like … Continue reading

I heard objects can sometimes be left inside of a patient during surgery. What objects are most often left behind?

With so many objects being put use during certain surgeries, it is possible that, occasionally, one is going to get left behind. Objects commonly left inside a patient include clamps, the blades of broken scalpels, gauze, and towels. However, the object most commonly left inside a patient is the sponge. Sponges are used frequently during surgeries and can become easily obscured within incisions.

What is wrong-site surgery?

Wrong-site surgery is a very serious and potentially life-threatening form of medical malpractice. Wrong-site surgery is when a surgeon does one or more of the following: Performs surgery on the wrong body part Performs surgery on the wrong side of the body Performs the wrong surgical procedure Performs surgery on the wrong patient Wrong-site surgery should never occur. Before performing a procedure, all medical professionals involved are supposed to verify the procedure being performed, the name of the patient receiving the procedure, and the part of the body on which the procedure will be performed. This should then be re-verified immediately before surgery.

What kind of money can I recover from a medical malpractice suit?

It depends. In a medical malpractice case there are economic damages, non-economic damages, and punitive damages. Economic Damages. These damages may include medical expenses, inability to earn money, and lost wages. Non-Economic Damages. These damages may include pain & suffering and disability. Punitive Damages. If is found that medical professional intentionally harmed you, punitive damages may be awarded.

Can medical students be sued for medical malpractice?

Yes. Medical students are not seasoned doctors or nurses, and they certainly need the knowledge of hands-on training to complete their education, but if a medical student makes a mistake that puts a patient in harm’s way, he or she can be held accountable. In fact, medical students are insured with medical malpractice coverage in case a mistake occurs during their training. Either the school at which the students are enrolled will supply this coverage or the facility in which they are training will supply the coverage.

Who should be held accountable for my surgical error?

Surgical errors happen often and in a number of ways. Examples of surgical errors include making an erroneous incision, operating on the wrong part of the body, administering an incorrect amount of anesthesia or other medication, and even leaving a surgical implement inside a patient. If a surgical error happened to you, there are multiple entities which may be blamed, including the surgeon, a nurse or other medical assistant, the anesthesiologist, a pharmacist, or the hospital itself. There are a number of ways in which a hospital and its staff can be found negligent in the event of a surgical error. Speak with a personal injury attorney to learn more.

Legally, is there a very big difference between failure to diagnose cancer & misdiagnosis of cancer?

Whether a doctor has failed to diagnose your cancer or has misdiagnosed your cancer, he or she may have committed medical malpractice. Of course, both cases depend on the details. For both, it is necessary to prove that a reasonable doctor should have been able to accurately diagnose your cancer. Failing to make that diagnosis, or misdiagnosing, can be seen as medical negligence.