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MEDICAL MALPRACTICE

Summary:

Doctors have an important role in our lives: they treat us when we are sick or injured. We rely on their services and their work can mean life or death for us or our loved ones. With its rapidly expanding technology and high quality education, the medical field in this country is the best in the world. Thankfully, we can usually trust our medical system to provide us with the care we need. Sometimes, however, careless doctors breach our trust and further harm us when we are already ailing. The law protects us against doctors who have negligently caused injury and their insurance companies. When medical providers breach the standard of care and the case has merit, The Pahlke Law Group stands up for seriously injured clients against such health care providers. This area of law is called medical malpractice and The Pahlke Law Group stands up for injured plaintiffs against doctors and insurance companies. When doctors hurt us and insurance companies do not pay out on their policies, only strong legal representation can right the wrong. Our representative cases are listed below.

Cases:

 1. Hawk v. Prompt Care

- The doctor failed to correctly read chest X-Rays. Employer, who denied its employment of the doctor, failed to have the X-Ray reviewed by a radiologist as the defendant doctor claimed his employer had promised him. The cost of the review was $7.00. As a result, patient went from having a high probability of survival to terminal cancer. Confidential settlement.

2. Olona v. Dixon

- In New Mexico, doctor botches circumcision causing physical deformity and psychological damage. Confidential settlement.

3. Gallbladder Case Gone Awry

- Dr. was doing a laparoscopic gall bladder surgery when he perforated the bowel, causing fecal peritonitis. The malpractice necessitated an extended hospital stay, repeat surgeries and permanent injuries. Confidential settlement.

4. Doctor Fails to Consider No. 1 Risk of Procedure

- Dr. was attempting to do a nissen fundopplication surgery when he perforated the esophagus. The doctor, during post-op, failed to consider the number one recognized risk, i.e. perforation of the esophagus. As a result, the patient died. Confidential settlement.

5. Fossum v. South Dakota Doctor

- Plaintiff’s appendicitis was misdiagnosed. As a result, he developed peritonitis which caused serious damage. Confidential settlement.

6. Doctor Gets Lost During Surgery

- Dr. perforates plaintiff’s bowel while doing appendectomy remote from the appendix. Severe complications, including fecal peritonitis, necessitated colostomy. Confidential settlement.

7. Overstreet v. Box Butte County General Hospital

- 83 year-old patient has a bedside commode order. Nurse takes it upon herself to let patient, who has a hairline fracture in her femur, use a walker to walk to the bathroom. When patient went to the bathroom, she fell and suffered severe fractures of both her femur and humerus. Plaintiff won a $300,000 verdict in court.

8. Joiner v. Community Hospital & Banner Healthcare System, Inc.

- 83 year-old patient becomes confused and falls at home. A Banner Health System Hospital employee had patient standing upright for X-Rays despite her known history of falling. During the examination, patient fell and suffered a compound fracture of her femur as well as arm and shoulder injuries. Those injuries required surgeries and contributed to the need for assisted living and ultimately nursing home care. Confidential settlement.

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