Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a common medical condition that accounts for many medical negligence claims. The American College of Physicians routinely publishes guidelines to assist physicians in treating and, better yet, preventing pulmonary embolism. PEs can be effectively prevented when patients who are at risk for the condition are "prophylaxed," or treated before developing a PE. The [...]
At Mishkind Kulwicki Law, we represent the "little guy," random Americans who paid for one kind of medical care but got something much, much worse. The little guy gets knocked around by a healthcare system that is built for profit, not for safety. The little guy can't compete with Big Insurance, Big Medicine, Big Pharma [...]
Nursing home abuse and neglect usually occurs when poorly trained or inexperienced caregivers are required to take care of challenging patients without adequate support from nursing home management. At Mishkind Kulwicki Law, we are often asked to recommend nursing homes to clients and friends who are facing the difficult task of finding an acceptable long-term [...]
When it comes to medical errors, doctors are not likely to tell their patients the truth. Typically, a physician will keep his/her patient in the dark by using euphemistic medical-speak to explain an error, such as referring to an avoidable surgical injury as an "unanticipated complication of the procedure." But a recent study in the Journal of Health Affairs [...]
Clostridium difficile, or C. Diff., is an intestinal infection that is considered to be nosocomial or hospital-acquired. At Mishkind Kulwicki Law, we are receiving more inquiries regarding cases arising out of healthcare providers' delay in diagnosing and treating this disease, resulting in fatality or loss of bowel. The disease is spread by orofecal transmission facilitated by ineffective hospital or [...]
Everyone seems to be using Facebook for business and private reasons. What happens when you become involved in a lawsuit and the attorney representing your opponent wants you to produce everything you have posted on your FB page? In a recent case that we handled, what appeared to be an innocent comment became a potential [...]
Dangerous drug reactions can lead to significant injury, disability and death. When prescription as well as over-the-counter (OTC) medications are not prescribed properly or are taken improperly, serious injuries can occur. When drugs that are prescribed to treat a medical condition cause further harm, the outcome may be due to negligence on the part of [...]
We might expect that, if a loved one dies unexpectedly in a hospital, an autopsy would automatically be performed. Unfortunately, this is not so. The policies on autopsies, including when and how they are performed, have evolved over the years so that they seem out of reach for many people who would benefit from them. [...]
Medical errors and hospital-acquired infections kill or injure over 1 million patients each year. Don't be a victim. If you watch one video this holiday season, please make it this one. If you care about patient safety and awareness, watch this video. Please share this video with anyone that questions the importance of improving patient [...]
Ventilators keep some of the most vulnerable patients breathing. This crucial equipment sounds an alarm at the first sign of a problem, and the caretaker should immediately respond to the alarm. Unfortunately, improper nursing staff training or caretaker negligence can render the alarm useless. An analysis by the Boston Globe shows that, between 2005 and [...]