Car accident suit must appear before tribunal
May 7, 2010
The widow of a man who was hit and killed by a car could not sue the driver’s health care providers for failing to warn of the risk of driving while taking certain medication without first presenting her claim to a medical-malpractice tribunal, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court has ruled. Read more
Health care reform bill offers many hidden changes
May 7, 2010
The new health care reform law doesn’t just provide for universal health care - it also includes various other provisions relevant to physicians and hospitals. Read more
Physician practices scramble to comply with new privacy reg
May 7, 2010
Physicians in many small practices are still struggling to comply with Massachusetts’ sweeping new data privacy regulation that went into effect on March 1 – and many doctors aren’t even aware of the changes. Read more
Massachusetts joins lawsuit against J&J
April 30, 2010
Attorney General Martha Coakley’s office has joined a federal lawsuit that contends that Johnson & Johnson paid tens of millions of dollars in kickbacks to get its drugs, especially the powerful antipsychotic Risperdal, prescribed in nursing homes, according to The Boston Globe.
The action was taken as Coakley’s office disclosed that it is also scrutinizing companies that market antipsychotics to Massachusetts nursing homes. These drugs are widely used in some homes to treat residents suffering from dementia.
Antipsychotics are approved to treat people with severe mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia, but it is legal for physicians to prescribe them “off label” to treat people with dementia. Pharmaceutical companies are prohibited from marketing or promoting off-label uses of their products.
Doctor offers reform ideas to lawmakers
April 30, 2010
State policy makers should consider setting rates for medical services to counteract the dominance of certain hospitals, a prominent doctor told state policymakers at a hearing organized by the Patrick administration and Attorney General Martha Coakley’s office. Read more
Health care reform bill offers many hidden changes
April 30, 2010
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The new health care reform law doesn’t just provide for universal health care - it also includes various other provisions relevant to physicians and hospitals. Read more
Jury rules for defense in first hernia patch trial
April 30, 2010
A hernia patch manufactured by Davol did not cause a California man’s severe bowel injuries, a Rhode Island jury has found. Read more
Doctors mistake evolving stroke for disease or palsy
April 30, 2010
The patient, 58, had a medical history that included borderline hypertension and hypercholesterolemia.
He awakened one morning with slurred speech, lack of control of his tongue and difficulty swallowing. He was seen that day by two physicians, who noted that he had a one-week history of tingling and “pins and needles” in his hand with weakness in his arm and wrist. The physicians said that the patient’s speech was slightly slurred and his tongue was midline. They also observed that he had a right facial droop, eyelid weakness and decreased sensation to light and sharp touch.
The physicians sent the patient home with a diagnosis of either Bell’s Palsy or Lyme Disease.
Two days later, the patient’s wife found him in bed with right-sided weakness, incontinent of urine and unable to speak. He was transferred via EMS to the hospital and diagnosed with a massive stroke.
Subsequently, the patient underwent artery stenting and an angioplasty, which was complicated by an artery rupture. After the operation, the patient started physical, speech and occupational therapies, as well as nutritional therapy. He was eventually discharged to a rehabilitation facility.
Today, the patient has profound difficulty speaking, is unable to read or write due to motor sequencing problems and has no voluntary movement in his right arm and leg. He requires round-the-clock care.
The patient was expected to present expert medical testimony that the physicians negligently failed to rule out an evolving stroke as the cause of his symptoms and that the stroke would have been avoided had the defendants placed him on proper medication.
The case resulted in a $1 million settlement.
Type of action: Medical malpractice
Injuries alleged: Failure to diagnose and treat an evolving stroke resulting in neurologic injuries
Date: October 2009
Submitted by: Andrew C. Meyer Jr. and Benjamin R. Novotny, Lubin & Meyer, Boston (for the plaintiff)
Man discharged from ER with chest pain dies later that day
April 30, 2010
A 57-year-old retired man presented to his local ER on April 9, 2005, with tight substernal chest pain. His medical history included hypertension and smoking one pack of cigarettes per day. Read more
Patient dies after heart monitor alarm goes unheard
April 30, 2010
A 70-year-old man underwent lung decortications followed by a weeklong stay in the surgical intensive care unit and subsequent transfer to a telemetry floor. Read more
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