The untimely and tragic death of Michael Jackson in 2009 pushed what appears to be an ever-growing problem into the national spotlight: the tendency of doctors to over-prescribe medicines for their patients’ use. Jackson’s doctor, Conrad Murray, is currently being prosecuted for involuntary manslaughter. If convicted, Murray faces the very real prospect of actually spending some time in prison.

According to an article from Reuters, this is a relatively new, but increasingly popular, way in which to deal with problems of Florida medical malpractice. Until recently, criminal prosecution of negligent doctors was virtually nonexistent. If a doctor made a mistake, he or she could expect to be called upon to answer for that mistake in a civil court and possibly to pay out money damages, but the idea of going to jail for a medical mistake was typically not a concern. Continue reading “Florida Medical Malpractice Attorneys Get Help from Unlikely Source” →

Florida medical malpractice has severe consequences on the lives of those affected. It is unacceptable for patients to visit a hospital to receive treat for an ailment only to get even more ill because of poor medical care. Unfortunately, these hospital errors occur much more frequently than most residents imagine.

ABC Action News reported last week on a new government report which shines a spotlight on the quality–or lack thereof–of many local hospitals. The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) released information that shares the total number of “hospital acquired conditions” (HACs) reported at area facilities. These are infections and other ailments that a patient develops while they are staying in a hospital to seek aid for a separate condition. Research indicates that virtually all HACs can be prevented if hospitals follow proper prevention standards and guidelines. Common HACs include: air embolisms, blood incompatibilities, catheter-associate urinary tract infections, pressure ulcers, vascular catheter-associated infections, and many others. Continue reading “Government Report Reveals Prevalence of Preventable Florida Medical Errors” →