He answered his nation's call, serving in the U.S. Marine Corps during the divisive Vietnam war. According to a lawsuit Lawrence Johnson has filed against the VA Healthcare System, his patriotism and service has been repaid with substandard care that has resulted in...
Military Medical Malpractice
Legislation introduced to require VA provider accountability
After an investigation uncovered 88 cases of a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) surgeon’s errors causing harm to veterans, the U.S. Senate is taking action to improve provider accountabilityThe original investigation, conducted by USA Today in October 2017,...
20 years later, doctor admits he lied in medical malpractice case
Nearly 20 years have gone by since a doctor was called to the witness stand to testify about the surgical skills of his partner. The surgeon was asked in a medical malpractice trial if his partner's work had ever been substandard. "No, never," he replied.All these...
Misunderstanding a hot head
We all function at least a little bit like our own doctors and nurses. We do the same for our children, of course, especially when they are very young.Everyone is aware that elevated body temperatures can be strong signals that a person is ill. When the thermometer...
A Texas hospital administrator sues for medical malpractice
It is interesting to see how unforeseen events can dramatically change a person's viewpoint. We read recently of the administrator of a Texas hospital northeast of San Antonio has come to understand the plight of victims of doctor negligence.The longtime administrator...
Congresswoman bucks party on medical malpractice cap
She is just three years old, but she has already been cut off from many of life's simple pleasures. Because of the irreversible brain injury she sustained at birth, she will never be able to walk, run, stand up or skip a rope.The cause of the birth injury was doctor...
Public health lab botches test results
The nine most terrifying words in the English language, it has been said, are "I'm from the government and I'm here to help." Those words rang true again while we read recently that a number of people in the nation's capital were given bad medical information about...
A closer look at wrong-site surgery
No one looks forward to surgery, but most San Antonio residents expect the best and hope that the operation will result in improved health.Unfortunately, surgery can have the opposite effect. Far too often, surgical errors occur, leaving patients with more medical...
Federal government to pay $33.8 million for medical malpractice
Many people have made the point, but we are going to repeat it here: when a negligent doctor or hospital is ordered to pay a large amount to a victim of medical malpractice, it is because the damage is extensive. That is the case in a lawsuit recently decided by a...
Lack of Informed Consent Is a Problem at VA Hospitals
Whether you are a patient at a civilian hospital or a military hospital, you have a right to know about the risks associated with specific medical procedures. You also have a right to know who will be performing the procedure. Likewise, civilian and military doctors...