The Best Carolina Medical Malpractice Attorney Resource Page

Medical Malpractice/Doctor Mistakes

Information: Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect

by James Lewis

Member of "Best Law Firm" (U.S. News, '13 Ed.), Car Accidents, Medical Malpractice, Nursing Home Abuse

If you or a loved one have been seriously injured by the negligence of a surgeon, doctor, or medical staff you probably have questions and concerns. This page is meant as a resource for you and was developed by our team of experienced North Carolina medical malpractice injury attorneys:

Watch these informational videos related to medical malpractice and surgical errors

Frequently asked questions

Download our in-depth medical malpractice guides

(1) Top Ten Tips from an Experienced Medical Malpractice Lawyers

(2) Surgeries Gone Wrong: The Top 5 Surgical Errors and How Not to Become a Victim

Sample of our case results

Retained Surgical Sponge and Subsequent Complications Leads to $425,000 Settlement

$2.3 Million Jury Verdict for Child Birth Injury

Failed Back Surgery Leads to $1.25 million settlement

Failure to Diagnose/ER Doctor/vascular incident (aortic aneurysim) Results in $700,000 Settlement

Misdiagnosis Results in $650,000.00 Settlement

We've also handled multiple cut/nicked ureter/bowel cases. Here is an example - we settled a cut ureter injury case for $400,000.00

Types of Medical Malpractice

•Surgical errors - This includes anesthesia mistakes, improper sterilization, technical errors, nerve damage, unnecessary surgery, surgery on the wrong part of the body, foreign objects left in the body, and organ puncture.

• Wrong diagnosis and misdiagnosis - This includes misread x-rays, misread test results, failure to order common diagnostic tests, and ignored or missed symptoms. Commonly missed diagnoses include heart attacks, cancer, hypertension, clogged arteries, and infections.

• Negligent care - This includes the improper use of restraints, the improper administration of medication or wrong medication, hospital abuse, or lack of sufficient staff.

• Birth injury - These incidents happen during the baby’s delivery or shortly afterward. These injuries due to hospital errors may involve cerebral palsy, Erb’s palsy, or brain damage. The mistake may be the obstetrician's, nurses' or other treater in the maternity ward, but the common feature of these claims is the permanent, catastrophic injury to the mother or baby.

We Also Handle Nursing Home Abuse And Nursing Home Neglect Cases
When we place our loved ones into an adult care or elder care facility, we do so with the utmost love and respect, and with the assumption that they will receive sufficient care, attention, and medical support. Yet, according to CBS News, nursing home abuse is on the rise and roughly 30% of adult care facilities have been cited for abuse incidents.

Nursing home abuse can take many forms, including elder physical abuse, elder emotional abuse, elder neglect, elder verbal abuse, and elder sexual abuse. Some nursing home residents may be improperly restrained, some might be given the wrong medications or over medicated, some may suffer from bedsores, infections, and unclean environments, and some may suffer daily emotional abuse from staff members.

These abuses can lead to poor quality of life, medical issues, mental issues, depression, infections, slips and falls, broken bones, and even death.

Here are the most common signs of elder neglect and abuse:
• Bruises, cuts, frozen joints, sudden weight loss or bedsores on the body.
• Soiled sheets, insects, or other signs of neglect.
• The nurse or attendant does not leave the room when you visit.
• You are sometimes unable to see your loved one when you visit.
• Your loved one seems over-medicated or withdrawn.
• Sudden changes in behavior.
• Staff inattention
• Overuse of restraints

If you see the signs of abuse or neglect in your loved one, act. We will seek justice for your elder loved one, try to prevent further abuse, and pursue the compensation you deserve.

Blog for Medical Malpractice/Doctor Mistakes

Disrespecting the Constitution and the Right to Trial by Jury – Caps on Medical Malpractice Damages
Description: The Constitution was successfully ratified by promising protection, within the Bill of Rights, for civil jury trials.
North Carolina Family Awarded $4 Million In Medical Malpractice Case
Description: A North Carolina jury awarded the largest ever med mal verdict in the county’s history.
Supreme Court Rules Against N.C. Claim of Malpractice Settlement
Description: The Supreme Court ruled in a 6-3 vote that the federal Medicaid law pre-empts North Carolina’s state law of seizures from medical malpractice settlements.
South Carolina Lawmakers Consider Mandatory Testing of Newborns
Description: South Carolina lawmakers considering mandatory screening of newborns.
Preeclampsia Dangers Highlighted in 'Downton Abbey' episode
Description: Misdiagnosing preeclampsia symptoms can have tragic consequences.
Hulk Hogan Files $50 Million Lawsuit Against Tampa Spine Clinic
Description: Hulk Hogan files lawsuit against LSI.
Can North Carolina Medical Malpractice Awards Be Taken by Medicaid?
Description: Rick Shapiro, an attorney with the Shapiro, Lewis, Appleton & Favaloro law firm recently wrote about a case heard by the North Carolina Supreme Court that could affect medical malpractice victims in North Carolina and in other states across the U.S.
Outbreaks Tied to Unsafe Injection Practices Have NC Officials Worried
Description: Officials in NC issued a warning about the dangers associated with unsafe injection practices at healthcare facilities across the state.
NC Hospital Fire Caused by Defibrillation, Kills Patient, Injures 3 Others
Description: Fire ignites at hospital killing patient and injuring 3 others.
Jury Awards $21M to Family Whose Son Developed Cerebral Palsy
Description: The Glen Burnie, MD, boy is confined to a wheelchair and can barely control his arms, but has full command of his mental faculties.
Woman Whose Brain Damage Resulted From Medication Mismanagement Receives $120M Medical Malpractice Award
Description: A jury in Bronx, New York, determined that the woman's permanent disability was due to Stevens-Johnson syndrome, a rare drug side effect.
Cerebral Palsy Blamed on Botched Ultrasound Leads to $78.5M Jury Award for Family
Description: The single mother from Pennsylvania (PA) is set to receive $1.5 million for emotional distress, with the remainder being placed in a trust for the child.
Wrongful Death Following Surgery Results in $2.4M Medical Malpractice Award in South Carolina
Description: A jury in Pickens County, SC, found that surgeons with an OB/GYN practice failed to detect and properly treat a woman's perforated bowel.
Debilitating Stroke Following Surgery Brings $178M Malpractice Judgment Against Hospital
Description: Surgeons, doctors and nurses at the Florida health care facility failed to diagnose or treat the patient's internal bleeding.
North Carolina Nursing Home Residents Fall Ill With Virus
Description: Patients at two Forsyth County, NC, long-term care facilities have become infected with norovirus.
Continuing Medical Education Is Disciplinary Tool for Doctor Errors
Description: Contact our Carolina personal injury law firm if you would like a free evaluation of your potential medical malpractice claim.
Admitting Medical Mistakes Can Improve Patient Safety
Description: If you would like a free evaluation of your potential medical malpractice claim, contact our North Carolina law firm.
Allegedly Aggressive Security Contributed to Death of Cape Fear Valley Medical Center Patient
Description: Contact a personal injury lawyer for a free consultation if security at a medical facility has caused you or a loved one injuries.
North Carolina's New Caps on Medical Malpractice Awards Explained
Description: "Tort reform" laws hurt victims while also increasing insurance companies' profits. Contact us if you would like an evaluation of a malpractice claim.
Malpractice Claims Could Arise From the Failure to Share Diagnostic Test Results
Description: Contact a personal injury lawyer at our firm for a free consultation if a doctor's poor communication skills have made your health worse.

Library for Medical Malpractice/Doctor Mistakes:

The Answer to Rising Health Care Costs is Not Found in the Court Room
Description: In 2011, payouts to victims of medical malpractice were at the lowest levels…ever.
Major Medical Mistakes Go Unnoticed and Uncorrected
Description: Serious reforms need to be made which emphasize transparency and accountability.
US Government: Hospitals Need More Quality And Safety Control
Description: Part of the new health care bill involves greater responsibility for hospitals - and asks hospitals to lower preventable medical errors, hospital re-admissions, and other safety hazards. While hospitals worry that their revenue may be lowered, patients and health care consumers should benefit from these changes.
Carolina Medical Error: Cancerous Organ Transplants
Description: A man recently received a cancerous kidney in a transplant at Duke University. How often do cancerous organs get transplanted into patients, and why isn't the problem being stopped? Learn more about cancerous organ transplants and Carolina medical malpractice.
Carolina Medical Malpractice: A Focus On Nerve Damage
Description: Perhaps one of the most devastating surgical mistakes leaves patients with serious nerve damage - a condition that can lead to years of pain, numbness, and disability. Learn more about nerve damage symptoms and about occurrences of nerve damage medical malpractice in the Carolinas.
When Carolina Doctors Commit Sexual Misconduct
Description: When North Carolina pediatrician Melvin Levine was accused of sexual abuse by dozens of former patients, many across the state began to wonder about the prevalence of sexual misconduct among physicians. Learn more about what is and is not appropriate behavior for your NC doctor and other medical professionals.
Anesthesia Errors And North Carolina Medical Malpractice
Description: One of the most common types of surgical errors have nothing to do with the surgeon and everything to do with the Anesthesiologist. Learn more about examples of anesthesia errors, why anesthesia errors occur, and how they can be prevented.
What Is The Role Of A North Carolina Medical Expert Witness?
Description: What is the role of a North Carolina medical malpractice expert witness? Learn more about why a medical expert is vital for a winning medical malpractice case and how medical experts can help juries better understand NC med mal lawsuits.
Does Your North Carolina Doctor Have A History Of Medical Malpractice?
Description: North Carolina lawmakers have recently decided to create a searchable online database of medical malpractice information for all NC doctors. This new database of medical malpractice information can help potential patients pick health professionals with stellar records.
Medical Malpractice Statistics | North Carolina Medical Malpractice Lawyer
Description: Do you know how many people each year die because of medical malpractice? Or how many serious medication mistakes are made each year in the United States? Or what percentage of doctors are sued at some point during their careers? Learn some shocking medical malpractice statistics.
North Carolina Statute Of Limitations And Medical Malpractice | North Carolina Medical Malpractice Attorney
Description: When you suffer from medical malpractice in North Carolina, you only have a small window of time to consult a lawyer and file a medical malpractice lawsuit. Learn more about the North Carolina medical malpractice statute of limitations in this legal article.
Medication Mistakes In North Carolina Nursing Homes | Nursing Home Neglect Attorney
Description: Medication mistakes are all too common in North Carolina nursing homes. Whether nursing home workers are forgetting medications, over-medicating, or stealing medications, your loved one's health could be seriously harmed by nursing home medication errors.
Stories of Wrong Side Surgery: A Terrifying Medical Error | Carolina Medical Malpractice Lawyers
Description: Imagine going in for a surgery only to wake up and find the operation was done on the wrong part of your body. Perhaps the wrong knee was operated on - or your healthy kidney was removed instead of the diseased one. Unfortunately, wrong side surgery happens far too often for no good reason.
The Frustrations of Dealing with Medicare
Description: If you're looking for a qualified attorney to handle your case, you've arrived at the right place. Our firm features attorneys with over 100 years of combined legal experience and a reputation for successful verdicts. Take a moment to review our videos and articles. You'll see why we're a top-notch injury law firm that's ready to work for you. Give us a call at 1-800-752-0042 for a FREE consultation.
North Carolina Wrong Diagnosis: NC Medical Malpractice | NC & SC Medical Malpractice Attorneys
Description: Did you know that misdiagnosed conditions lead to 40,000 to 80,000 deaths in our hospitals each year? Being diagnosed quickly and accurately is a large part of regaining your health, and a failure to diagnose can be harmful or deadly. Learn more about delayed diagnosis, wrong diagnosis, misdiagnosis, and failure to diagnose in North Carolina.
Four Common Reasons For Surgical Errors In The Carolinas
Description: Surgical errors can result in complications, infection, unnecessary surgery, and even death. Learn about the most common types of surgical errors, including equipment defects, equipment problems, wrong surgery, wrong side surgery, miscommunication, and wrong medication.
Cerebral Palsy, Birth Injuries, and Medical Malpractice
Description: Cerebral palsy has a number of causes, but a number of babies suffer from cerebral palsy after a doctor, nurse, or other health professional makes a mistake during the birthing process. Learn more about cerebral palsy and its causes and symptoms as well as the connection between some cases of cerebral palsy and medical malpractice.
Bedsores and Carolina Nursing Home Neglect
Description: Very simply, bedsores are a red flag for nursing home abuse and adult care abuse. Bedsores are extremely painful and can lead to infection, discomfort, and even death. Learn more about the cause of bedsores, bedsore treatment, bedsore symptoms, and what you should do if your elder loved one is suffering from bedsores in North Carolina (NC) or South Carolina (SC).
North Carolina Family Settles Case of Death Due to Negligence by Nursing Home
Description: A settlement was reached for $380,000 recently in a North Carolina (NC) case of wrongful death due to nursing negligence. The victim was admitted to a nursing home because she was battling Parkinson’s disease. While in the nursing home, she developed a Stage III “sacral decubitus ulcer”, which lead to her death.
“Complaints” Used to Pressure Medical Experts Away from Helping Lawyers for Injured Patients
Description: Experts in the medical field have complained about the intimidation dealing with the “ethical issues” of their testimony against other doctors in malpractice suits. A number of medical groups are creating a procedure of ethic complaints in order to set a standard and unbiased way of sharing expert testimony in court.