Case 15: Depositions
The general surgeon was deposed by the plaintiff’s attorney. In this part of the deposition they are discussing the patient’s deterioration after she was admitted to the hospital. There is disagreement between what the nurses documented and what the surgeon claims he was told. The neurosurgeon was also deposed. Later they discussed the delays in […]
Case 15: Expert Witnesses
The plaintiff hired a neurosurgeon to write an opinion about the patient’s care. The hospital hired a neurosurgeon expert witness to defend the care that the nurses provided. The expert is very careful to only comment on the nurse’s care, which will be helpful for the hospital as it tries to defend itself. This opinion […]
Case 15: Lawsuit
The patient suffered lingering neurological disability despite extensive rehabilitation in her home state. The patient and her family contacted a medical malpractice attorney, and a lawsuit was filed. The general surgeon, the neurosurgeon, and the initial hospital were all sued. The lawsuit was filed in federal court as opposed to state court, because the defendants […]
Case 15: Receiving Hospital
On arrival to the receiving hospital, the helicopter team was met by the neurosurgeon. He did a quick exam and then promptly took her to the operating room. His consult note is shown below. The neurosurgeon’s operative note is shown below for MedMalReviewer subscribers. The patient remained in the hospital for the following 9 days. […]
Case 15: ICU Course
The patient arrived to the ICU and was assessed by the nurse. The assessments are shown here. The writing was barely legible so I have transcribed them for easy reading. At 1:20am, the patient’s GCS suddenly worsened to 9. The ED physician was notified and a stat CT scan was ordered. The results showed subdural […]
Case 15: Workup
The physician ordered a CBC, CMP, coagulation panel, and a CT scan of her head. As expected, her INR was elevated at 2.4. The CBC and CMP did not show any acute abnormalities. Copies of her full labs were not included in court documents. The results of the CT scan showed a subdural hematoma. The […]
Case 15: Ski Accident
Welcome to medmalreviewer.com! This website publishes long form articles about medical malpractice cases. All medical records, depositions, expert witness opinions, and verdicts are taken from real-life lawsuits. This case concerns a 61-year-old woman from Maryland who was on vacation in Colorado. She and her family were skiing at a large resort. She was an intermediate […]
Case 14: Documentation
The documentation in this case played a critical role in the outcome of the lawsuit. The attending did not bother to leave a note in the chart, leaving the resident to suffer the legal consequences by herself. He signed the chart days later, but unfortunately a signature does not qualify as documentation. The attending’s note […]
Case 14: Review
This case illustrates a rare but well-known disease with catastrophic consequences. Emergency Medicine residents are frequently tested on aortoenteric fistula, but to diagnose one in real practice remains quite uncommon. The first step in making the diagnosis is being aware that it is a possibility. Any patient presenting with possible GI bleed and a history […]
Case 14: Legal Outcome
The case was decided at a bench trial, in which the judge decides the case as opposed to a jury. As is typical, the plaintiffs cast a wide net and alleged negligence by multiple physicians. After months of legal arguments, all were dismissed with the exception of the resident and attending who saw him at […]