Miami Medical Malpractice Law Blog

The mere thought of surgery is enough to make some queasy. The fact that a patient is cut open and physiologically changed puts a lot of stress on the patient and a great deal of responsibility on the surgeon. Yet, years of training, a competent medical staff, and safety protocols typically prevent mistakes from happening. But accidents do happen. When a surgical error occurs, the results can be devastating. Miami residents should take note of one recent incident.

A woman's health was eroding when she started to have mini-strokes. To remedy the problem, she was scheduled to have a left-sided craniotomy surgical procedure. Instead, the neurosurgeon botched the surgery by giving the woman a right-sided craniotomy. In other words, the doctor operated on the wrong side of the patient's head. According to a lawsuit filed against the surgeon and the hospital, the woman can no longer speak properly. Unfortunately, this is one surgery mistake that was completely avoidable.

Choosing to place a loved one in a nursing home can be a difficult decision. That choice can be made even more daunting when one considers the potential safety risks posed by nursing homes. It is not uncommon for nursing home residents to fall victim to bedsores, a nursing home fall, unexplained nursing home bruising brought on by elder abuse, or rapid weight loss. All of these conditions are brought on by nursing home neglect, and Miami residents should be aware of the dangers.

A recently filed lawsuit against a nursing home shows the dangers of low staffing levels. In that case, an 84 year old nursing home resident died of hypothermia after she walked out of the institution. At the time, the nursing home was staffed by only one resident care assistant, who was responsible for monitoring all 30 residents. An investigation of the nursing home found the institution posed a real and present danger.

Medication can be a powerful tool in a patient's healthcare plan. When the correct dosage of a proper medication is used, it can alleviate symptoms of a condition, completely remedy an illness, or prevent a sickness from killing a patient. On the other hand, medication errors can have tragic consequences.

A nursing home is being sued after one of its patients was allegedly killed when she was given medication meant for her roommate. According to the lawsuit, the erroneous insulin injection led to the woman's quick deterioration which included pneumonia, E. Coli, a urinary tract infection, dehydration, and poor nutrition. The amount sought from the institution has not been released and will likely depend on whether the claim is for medical malpractice or nursing home negligence.

Before their operation, a lot of individuals have nightmares of a surgery gone wrong. Most of the time these nightmares are just dreams. But other times they become a frightening reality. When a surgical error occurs, a victim can be seriously injured or die. Perhaps the worst part of a surgery mistake is that it is completely avoidable. A recent incident at a hospital near Sarasota highlights the dangers of such surgical errors.

In that case, a woman was to have an operation inside her skull to relieve a condition that causes severe pain in the head. After waking up from the surgery, the woman was asked to sign a piece of paper allowing the surgeon to go back in and conduct the surgery again, this time on the proper side. The original operation had been conducted on the wrong side of the patient's head, leaving her with vestibular nerve damage. The victim now often finds herself dizzy, nauseated and susceptible to falls.