Indiana Injury Lawyer Blog

Stereotactic radiosurgery is designed to use minute amounts of radiation to treat tiny tumors, like those in the brain and spinal cord. The New York Times is continuing its series on radiation errors in the nation's hospitals, and has found that this highly sophisticated and complex therapy too has been linked to serious errors.

Stereotactic radiosurgery typically requires highly expensive equipment called a Gamma Knife, a complicated piece of medical equipment. Many hospitals and facilities can't afford the extra expenses involved in purchasing the equipment and setting aside a specific room for it. Several hospitals have begun to use linear accelerators instead. These devices are already designed to deliver targeted amounts of radiation to specific spots in the body. The linear accelerators are equipped with a cone attachment that allows them to emit the required amount of high-intensity radiation to the exact site of the tumor without affecting the surrounding tissue.

Continue reading "Radiation Errors from Stereotactic Radiosurgery" »

As we wrote earlier, Indiana patients now have a tool that will allow them to make more informed decisions about where they receive their care. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has added new search data to their Hospital Compare web site.

Indiana medical malpractice attorneys are encouraged by this updated information and believe it will make a positive difference in the care Indiana medical consumers receive. The ability to compare the outcomes of procedures, the quality of nursing care and patient satisfaction will influence area hospitals to invest more heavily in improvements in an effort to capture more of Indiana’s healthcare dollars.

Though limited to only a few specific areas of medical care, the site’s information illuminates frequently requested areas of service, including nursing care, bedsores, pulmonary care and pediatric diabetes. This information can assist patients by evaluating a hospital’s ability to provide adequate care. For example, the site provides encouraging information if you have any need for cardiac care in the Indianapolis metro area. On average, a central-Indiana resident will only wait seven minutes before they receive care in a cardiac specialty facility; this is compared to the national average wait time of 43 minutes.

Continue reading "Indianapolis Hospitals Self-Rate Care" »

For long now, doctors have noticed that the number of medical errors is constant for all months of the year, except in July when there is a noticeable spike in medication errors. It has been suspected that this spike is because more interns are coming in at teaching hospitals during this month. A study by researchers at UC San Diego, now confirms this.

The researchers have published the results of a study, that show that July is easily the worst month when it comes to medication errors. In fact, it's the worst month that you could choose to check into a hospital, simply because you're likely to be treated by inexperienced interns. The rate of medical errors in the month of July is 10% higher than in other months of the year.

Continue reading "July Is the Worst Month for Hospital Errors " »

The Georgia Supreme Court this week shot down a key provision of the state's 2005 tort reform laws capping noneconomic damages in medical malpractice lawsuits at $350,000. That comes just weeks after the Illinois Supreme Court declared that caps on medical malpractice damages violate separation of powers, by allowing lawmakers to interfere with judicial verdicts.

The Georgia Supreme Court decision involved an appeal by a hospital against a verdict awarding $1.15 million in non-economic damages to a patient. The patient had been severely scarred by a botched cosmetic surgery procedure performed at Atlanta Oculopasty Surgery. A jury awarded her $1.15 million in non-economic damages including pain and suffering, against a statutory cap of $350,000. The cap was part of sweeping tort reform laws passed in Georgia in 2005. The law’s proponents claimed these caps would reduce medical practice insurance premiums, and encourage more doctors to stay in the state.

Continue reading "Georgia SC Strikes Down Medical Malpractice Caps: Will Indiana Be Next? " »

As truck accident lawyers in Indiana, we have been very concerned at our state’s decision to close truck stops in an effort to deal with budgetary deficits. Last year, the Indiana Department of Transportation closed seven truck stops in the state. Other states around the country have followed suit, shutting down rest areas in an effort to meet budgetary shortfalls, and in the process, placing truckers and motorists at risk from fatigue-related accidents, violence, robberies and other adverse incidents.

A new piece of federal legislation called Jason’s Law could change all that. The bill, if passed, will provide for financing of new truck stops across the country, enhancing existing parking areas for 18-wheelers, and improving access to truck stops and parking facilities on our highways.

Continue reading "Jason’s Law Will Help Pay for Parking Facilities for Indiana Truckers" »