Regular readers of our San Antonio legal blog know that we frequently focus on our nation’s veterans and the medical care that they receive. You might have heard of a case in which a federal judge early this year found the Veterans Health Administration liable for the tragic suicide of an Iraq war veteran.
Failure to test results in ruined career, lifetime of misery
Sometimes it is the things that doctors don’t do that wind up being more harmful than the things that they do. An example of this can be found in the man whose doctors for years failed to test him for HIV despite known risk factors. When he was finally tested, the test came back positive.
The sound of silence: Veteran sues VA for medical malpractice
When his country was at war, he answered loudly and clearly. Today, the 66-year-old Viet Nam veteran can't say a word.
Navy veteran says missed diagnosis has him facing the end
It's likely that you haven't recently heard much about the infamous "bridge to nowhere." Though the proposed Alaska bridge was a big campaign issue back in 2008, it has long since faded from the political vocabulary.
VA problems continue to threaten patient safety
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."
Texas Supreme Court OKs expert report in medical malpractice case
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.
Veteran receives $1.93 million after medical malpractice trial
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.
VA hospitals and Never Events: These are the most common types of errors and injuries
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.
VA hospital accused of leaving scalpel inside Army vet
An Army veteran went to a Veterans Affairs hospital complaining of dizziness. An MRI of the vet's head did not locate the source of the problem. When he was later being examined, he experienced severe abdominal pain. This time, doctors ordered an X-ray of his midsection. The problem was evident in the images: the 61-year-old had “an abandoned surgical instrument" in his gut.
Members of Congress demand answers from VA
There are 435 members of the U.S. House of Representatives and another 100 U.S. Senators. Some political observers were disappointed that only 31 members of Congress signed on to a recent statement urging the VA to stop hiring doctors who have had medical licenses revoked and who have histories of medical malpractice or other professional misconduct.
