| National Practitioner Data Bank |
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| National Practitioner Data Bank More... |
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| Malpractice in Performing Abortions |
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| Thousands of legal abortions are performed in this country every year, and although most are completed without complications, there are certain risks connected with the procedure, some of which can be life threatening. A physician must adequately warn the patient of the risks inherent in the procedure. Medical malpractice cases arise when a patient claims that she was not informed about the risks of the procedure or that it was the negligence of her physician that caused or contributed to complications from an abortion. Women who have negligently performed procedures may suffer perforation of the uterus, infection, and endotoxic shock. Some complications resulting from an improperly performed abortion may be long-term, such as an increased risk of certain cancers and future ectopic pregnancies. More... |
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| Pathologist as an Expert Witness in a Medical Malpractice Case |
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| In preparing certain types of medical malpractice cases, the use of a good pathologist as an expert witness can help the jury to understand the complex medical issues underlying the patient's injury. However, before an attorney picks a pathologist to testify, he or she should understand the medical specialty of pathology.
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| Surgical Malpractice |
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| No matter how "routine" a procedure, surgery is always risky. However, not every bad result from surgery is caused by malpractice. Unintended and non-negligent complications arise every day, such as death from an undetected allergic reaction or infection that is guarded against, diagnosed, and treated in a timely and proper fashion but that nevertheless has a devastating effect on the patient's recovery. More... |
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| Establishing Standards of Care without Experts |
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| A physician, nurse, hospital, or other healthcare organization must provide its patients with the appropriate standard of care under the circumstances. In a medical malpractice action, an injured party must establish the standard of care and also must show evidence that the healthcare provider breached that standard. Generally, the standard of care is defined as how similarly qualified practitioners would have managed the patient's care under the same or similar circumstances. In determining the appropriate standard of care, juries may take into consideration a respected minority rule, which allows a healthcare provider to show that although the course of treatment followed was not the same as the majority of practitioners would have used, it is one that is accepted by a respectable minority of practitioners. More... |
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