Recent Legislation Proposes Extreme Increases in Medical Malpractice Damages Caps
Amid unprecedentedly high verdicts recently awarded in Nebraska and other Midwest states, two bills were introduced this month in the Nebraska Legislature to amend sections of the Nebraska Hospital-Medical Liability Act (“Act”). Under this Act, damages against qualified healthcare providers for medical malpractice claims are capped at $2.25 million. To [...]
A New Study Finds Significant Misdiagnoses in Emergency Rooms — But is it a False Alarm?
A new report issued by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), dated December 15, 2022, alleges: “About 5.7% of patients seen in the emergency department (“ED”) receive an incorrect diagnosis with about 2.0% experiencing an adverse event because of the incorrect diagnosis; some of these adverse events are [...]
No . . . You May Not Be Able to Use ALL of the Plaintiff’s Medical Records to Defend Your Case
There is a great misconception that all of the plaintiff’s medical records may be used in your defense when your patient sues you for medical malpractice. That is not true. Generally, medical records are hearsay (out of court statements) and are not admissible in court proceedings to use in your [...]
How Long Must Audit Logs Be Retained?
Any electronically stored information that an entity collects, stores, and transmits that may identify a patient is considered electronic protected health information (ePHI). To protect their patients’ ePHI, a covered healthcare entity must implement hardware, software, and/ or procedural mechanisms that record and examine activity on the entity’s network. 45 [...]
Spoliation of Evidence in Medical Malpractice Cases: What is it and What are the Consequences?
This blog has previously touched on importance of accurately documenting an Electronic Medical Record [EMR]. Document, Document, Document - Accurately! - Lamson Dugan & Murray LLP (ldmlaw.com). As the post explained, the “slightest discrepancy or ambiguity may result in protracted litigation.” But what happens when certain documents are deleted or [...]
The Smiling Tiger: Think Twice About the Production of Correspondence With the Iowa DIA
I have had countless Plaintiffs’ attorneys ask for various forms of evidence involving interactions between the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals (DIA) and our client. And why wouldn’t they? The Iowa DIA works together with hospitals and medical providers to produce the best possible healthcare. Their inspections and subsequent [...]
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Experienced legal professionals discussing medical malpractice issues of interest to health care providers, risk managers, and attorneys.
