While it didn't occur in New Mexico, a $62 million medical malpractice verdict is worth noting. Because of a claimed surgical error for an ectopic pregnancy, a woman ended up having both legs amputated, required a colostomy, and lost most of her hearing. During the...
Sepsis and spirit, part 2: coping with life-altering injuries
In part one of this post, we began discussing the very challenging medical condition known as sepsis. As we explained, the mortality rate for people who suffer septic shock after the failure of major organ systems is about 50 percent. In this post, however, we will...
Sepsis and spirit, part 1: damage from infection complications
There are certain words that cannot help but cause fear and anxiety in the context of medical treatment. One of those is of course cancer, which speaks for itself. But there are others as well. As we will discuss in this two-part post, "sepsis" is also a word that...
Doctors and scribes, part 2: demand is growing
In part one of this post, we discussed a new variation on an ancient role that has the potential to greatly improve the practice of medicine in the digital age. As we noted, some hospitals around the country are creating the position of "scribe" to shadow doctors in...
Doctors and scribes, part 1: electronic records and patient focus
The role of scribe is an honored one across many cultural traditions. To be sure, in the New Testament texts Jesus often had harsh words for them. His fear was that they might put the letter of the law before its spirit. Overall, however, the position of scribe has...
Complaint: Brain injuries caused by doctors during child’s birth
There seems to be an increase in birth injury cases throughout the country. In New Mexico and elsewhere there have been some large settlements and also jury verdicts in cases with devastating brain injuries to the newborn caused by medical malpractice. In some cases,...
Medical negligence extends woman’s suffering and recovery time
Sprained and broken ankles are common among children and adults in New Mexico and elsewhere. They can be quite painful at first; however, the pain generally subsides as the ankle heals. Continued pain, even after following a doctor's orders, can indicate that there is...
Lawsuit alleges woman’s death due to hospital understaffing
A healthy 26-year-old woman should never be subjected to a life-threatening crisis because of a lack of adequate staffing at a medical facility. However, a lawsuit filed recently says that's exactly what happened to a young doctor who suffered irreversible brain...
Family awarded huge amount in damages for son’s birth injuries
We have written about many cases of birth injuries on our New Mexico medical malpractice blog in the past. While many of these cases lead to settlements or verdicts for a family that is struggling to cope with a birth injury sustained during a difficult labor, it is...
Parents allege that medication error caused daughter’s death
Parents in New Mexico get understandably nervous when their children have to undergo sensitive medical procedures. Children, particularly young ones, may not understand why they might have to be sedated or to go under the knife to address a health concern. Kids may...