Medical Malpractice | InjuryBoard Chicago

The push for tort reform would make anyone believe that doctors are losing the battle in the courtroom. One would think that if a doctor is sued for medical malpractice the patient is coming out a winner and the doctor's practice is over. The truth, however, is far from what those pushing tort reform want the public to believe. A recent study showed that the reality is that jurors are more...

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In Missouri complaints of medical malpractice lawsuits being out of control were heard loud and clear and tort reform was initiated. The truth though is slowly coming to the surface. Missouri lobbyests claimed that medical malpractice cases were clogging the court system and this would not happen if frivolous cases were not filed. The truth, less than one percent of all civil cases that are...

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A Florida woman who gave birth to her son last May was shocked to find out that she had contracted a flesh eating bacteria infection. She was forced to have her arms and legs amputated to save her life. Claudia Mejias, only 23 years old is looking for answers, but the hospital is keeping quiet.Mejias filed a lawsuit against the hospital alleging its negligence caused her to contract the...

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Complaints continue to flow from doctors about out of control insurance premiums for medical malpractice insurance. The doctors continue to blame the cost of their premiums on frivolous lawsuits and outrageous awards. The facts though tell a different story. In Illinois most medical malpractice lawsuits never go to trial, which means they are settling for a reasonable, agreed upon amount...

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Ted Baxter was the controller for Citadel hedge funds, but he is no longer able to do his job. Baxter suffered from a stroke in 2005, and because he was misdiagnosed in the emergency room at Evanston Northwestern Hospital, he was not given the medication that could have saved him from the debilitating affects of the stroke that he will have for the rest of his life.When Baxter arrived at the...

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A Michigan man underwent gastric bypass surgery and died as a result of medical error. The doctor that performed the surgery on the man connected the wrong organs together, which resulted in the man's death shortly after the surgery was complete. The man's widow was awarded over $1 million as a result of his death.Many may first hear a $1 million verdict and cringe because of the large number....

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In 2005 medical malpractice caps were passed in Illinois, but in the two years since the passage the fight still continues to have them removed and against tort reform. Doctors and their advocates argue that tort reform is needed to decrease the high cost of medical malpractice insurance premiums. They have worked so hard in this campaign to push tort reform that the public is jumping on the...

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In New York a new tactic to try and push for tort reform is advertising in the waiting room at the doctor's office. The Medical Society of New York State is running a campaign targeting patients with information on high medical malpractice premiums and trying to push them to contact their state to pass bills that support tort reform. This campaign does not sound like its targeting the right...

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At one time Oregon had caps on non-economic damages in medical malpractice cases, but the caps have not been in effect since 1999. There was a push to reinstate the caps in 2004 but the bill failed. So what has been the result of the removal of the caps since 1999? Many may be surprised...Oregon has lower medical malpractice payouts than all but seven of the fifty states, and this is without...

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A Boston woman who discovered she was pregnant in 2004 decided that she was unable to care for the child and opted for an abortion. She was first seen at a Planned Parenthood facility, where she requested the abortion to be performed. It was done, however, it was not done properly and unbeknownst to her, she remained pregnant. The woman then saw a doctor at the Boston Medical Center when she...

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In Tennessee lawmakers are trying to reduce the number of frivolous lawsuits in the state through a bill that would force lawyers to have their cases certified by a doctor as having merit before the case could be filed. Tennessee is pushing for this because it appears as of now that caps will not pass. While other states, including Illinois, have a certification process, the process has shown...

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The latest new tactic in tort reform is coming out of Maryland with the help of Robert Wood Johnson. Johnson is funding the tort reform group Common Good with $1 million to allow them to try and establish "Health" courts. These courts would be used to only hear medical malpractice cases and instead of a jury the case would be heard by an expert judge. Again, let's try and look at the real...

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In Florida, doctors are unhappy with the high malpractice premiums they are paying. Florida legislature passed caps on damages four years ago, but not surprisingly, the premiums are still high. Again, doctors are looking to the wrong answers on how to decrease their premiums. But it appears now that they may have a new idea, probably not a good one, but still a new one.Some doctors in Florida...

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Metropolitan Medical Associates of Englewood, in New Jersey, was shut down after two women filed suit against the clinic for its failure to properly care for them. One woman was rushed to the hospital after an abortion went terribly wrong. She was forced to have a hysterectomy. Various other complications followed, including the woman being placed on a ventilator and being unconscious for...

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In Illinois and across the country, doctors are repeatedly blaming lawsuits as the cause for rising medical malpractice premiums. Many doctors use this as a reason to push for tort reform and caps on awards, but these doctors may be putting the blame in the wrong place.The truth is that in the last several years medical malpractice payments have declined. The cause of these payments is a small...

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