San Antonio Legal Blog

Broken epidural needle found in woman's spine after 14 years

On behalf of Law Office of Jeffrey C. Anderson posted in Military Medical Malpractice on Wednesday, April 11, 2018.

The top news story of the year was the U.S. invasion of Iraq. Top songs of 2004 included hits by Britney Spears, Dixie Chicks and Kid Rock. Top movies included "Finding Nemo," "Mystic River" and "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King."

If all of that seems like a long, long time ago, ponder this: a woman who gave birth that year and has suffered back pain ever since just found out the source of the ache: she had a broken epidural needle stuck in her spine. She is apparently planning to file a medical malpractice lawsuit against the military hospital where she gave birth in 2004.

Washington hospital’s issues exemplify problems at VA facilities

On behalf of Law Office of Jeffrey C. Anderson posted in blog on Friday, March 30, 2018.

A highly critical report of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that highlighted poor leadership, excessive waste, the misplacement of medical supplies and endangering patients at its Washington, D.C., hospital has led to senior leadership changes at more than 20 hospitals throughout the country.

The fallout from the report released in early March by Inspector General Michael Missal led VA Secretary David Shulkin to admit that “many of these issues are unacceptable” and it was time for the VA “to do business differently.”

Overview of medical malpractice categories

On behalf of Law Office of Jeffrey C. Anderson posted in Military Medical Malpractice on Friday, March 30, 2018.

As regular readers of our San Antonio Legal Blog know, we regularly focus on medical negligence issues of importance to veterans and veterans' families. These issues are not limited to those who have served in our nation's military, however.

The health care industry is booming, with rapid growth in care providers. With the growth comes problems, unfortunately, as physicians, nurses and others are too often unwilling to pay attention to the details of patient care so important in modern medicine. The result can be preventable mistakes that cause serious harm to patients.

VA problems continue to threaten patient safety

On behalf of Law Office of Jeffrey C. Anderson posted in VA Hospital Negligence on Thursday, March 15, 2018.

The nation's health care system for military veterans continues to be racked by problems. Last year, politicians promised that the billions of dollars to be spent on a digital medical records system would deliver "faster, better and far better quality care."

The $4.3 billion system has "utterly failed to achieve those goals," according to a recent USA Today report. Instead, in the VA hospitals where the medical records system has been rolled out, fewer patients are being seen and doctors have quit for fear of harming patients -- perhaps even killing veterans who were there for help.

Texas Supreme Court OKs expert report in medical malpractice case

On behalf of Law Office of Jeffrey C. Anderson posted in VA Hospital Negligence on Sunday, March 4, 2018.

The Texas Supreme Court has reversed an appeals court dismissal of a medical malpractive lawsuit. The high court ruled that an expert's report cited in the dismissal is good enough for the case to go to trial. The suit over a botched eye surgery was filed by Barbara Baty against certified registered nurse anesthetist Olga Futrelle.

Baty claimed in her medical malpractice lawsuit that Futrelle damaged her optic nerve when administering anesthesia before her eye surgery.

VA "aggressive new approach" targets Texas clinics

On behalf of Law Office of Jeffrey C. Anderson posted in blog on Wednesday, February 21, 2018.

The Veteran's Administration (VA) has announced a new effort for improving healthcare at their facilities. This will include improved strategy, support, and leadership at both the national and local level.

Fifteen low-performing clinics are being especially targeted, including three here in Texas. The facilities in Harlingen, Big Spring and El Paso are slated for major overhauls now that they have been identified as among the lowest-performing in the nation.

Medical malpractice lawsuits settled for $40 million

On behalf of Law Office of Jeffrey C. Anderson posted in Military Medical Malpractice on Thursday, February 15, 2018.

A former orthopedic surgeon who served time in prison for health care fraud has agreed to settle more than 250 medical malpractice lawsuits against him, news outlets report.

The former orthopedist was released from prison about a year ago. The plaintiffs in the medical malpractice cases have agreed to settle their claims with the pair of insurance companies that covered Spyros Panos and his former employer.

Veteran receives $1.93 million after medical malpractice trial

On behalf of Law Office of Jeffrey C. Anderson posted in VA Hospital Negligence on Wednesday, January 31, 2018.

He served our nation as a Marine during the Vietnam War and then came how to deliver the mail for more than three decades. So he has put in his time for Uncle Sam, and then some.

The 69-year-old veteran was recently awarded $1.93 million after a four-day medical malpractice trial that centered on allegations that doctors and employees at a VA hospital failed to diagnose and treat his prostate cancer in a timely manner.

VA hospitals and Never Events: These are the most common types of errors and injuries

On behalf of Law Office of Jeffrey C. Anderson posted in VA Hospital Negligence on Monday, January 29, 2018.

Some medical errors are so egregious that they have been termed "Never Events," as in they should never happen. But, unfortunately, each year Never Events occur in medical settings across the country, often with devastating consequences for patients.

We discussed one such Never Event in a recent post about an Army veteran in whose abdomen doctors found a scalpel that had been left their four years earlier. Read on for a brief outline of some of the most common Never Events.

Relief for VA medical errors - filing an FTCA claim

On behalf of Law Office of Jeffrey C. Anderson posted in Federal Tort Claims on Thursday, January 25, 2018.

If you or a loved one has been injured due to a mistake at a VA hospital or medical facility, you may be under the impression that you can't sue the federal government for what you have endured. But that simply isn't the case. very frustrated. It is true, though, that specific steps must be taken to bring a medical malpractice claim against the Veterans Administration.

The body of law for these matters is the Federal Torts Claim Act (FTCA), which outlines procedures for bringing a claim and, if necessary, suing the federal government. Not every attorney handles FTCA cases, so it is important to have an FTCA lawyer on your side if you have suffered injuries due to VA medical negligence.