In Kansas, the Health Care Stabilization Fund provides healthcare providers with liability insurance. As such, it is a rich source of information on trends in the world of Kansas medical malpractice. On October 16, the Health Care Stabilization Fund Oversight Committee released data pertaining to medical malpractice claims within Kansas during Fiscal Year 2013. According to the report, the...
Read MoreThe Dempsey Kingsland Osteen law firm obtained an $850,000 settlement for a client in a case involving complications from gall bladder surgery. John Doe John Doe was a vigorous retired 72-year-old when he began experiencing stomach discomfort and pain after meals. His regular doctor referred him to Defendant Doctor, a general surgeon. Defendant Doctor ordered a CT scan, which...
Read MoreDempsey Kingsland Osteen recently received national recognition for its February 2016 trial of Carl Oyler et al v. Hy-Vee, Inc. The story, featured on the front page of April 28, 2016 edition of The Washington Post, tells the tragic tale of the death of Joyce Oyler and highlights the dangers patients face when transitioning from hospital to home. The...
Read MoreBy 2025, the elderly (those over age 65) will account for 20 percent of drivers on the road. Although it is promising that life expectancies are increasing, there are safety concerns about the rising number of elderly drivers on the road. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), older people accounted for 8 percent (183,000) of the...
Read MoreSurgery, no matter how big or small, is a serious matter. Whether you’re having your appendix removed, correcting your eyesight through Lasik surgery, or undergoing a coronary bypass, there are always significant risks involved. Although surgeries are typically used to improve the length or quality of the patient’s life, in rare cases an error will occur during surgery. The...
Read MoreIt’s pretty clear how our readers in Missouri and elsewhere would uniformly respond to a question asking whether they would prefer to work for an explosive and bullying boss or someone they felt they could candidly address without risking a condescending response or curt dismissal. The same answer — I’ll take a rain check on the bully, please —...
Read MoreMany patients rely on hospitals for treatments, care and emergency procedures. You do not expect to suffer further harm or complications after going to the hospital. Unfortunately, patients are at risk for experiencing a preventable mistake while in the hospital, according to a study by Consumer Reports. The researchers found some disturbing findings that highlight the serious risks patients...
Read MoreA strong majority of nurses surveyed in a recent medical study have a clear prescription for improving patient safety, namely this: having the ability to spend time with patients. As patently obvious and as much of a no-brainer as that might seem, adequate nurse-patient interaction is more a hoped-for result than it is a reality at bedsides in hospitals...
Read MoreWhen many people in Kansas City think of medical malpractice, they likely think of a physician committing an error that causes serious harm to a patient. While this is often the case, the physician is not always solely responsible for the incident. Oftentimes, the hospital itself is liable. Understanding whether the hospital is responsible — at least in part...
Read MoreDoctors and hospital administrators in Missouri and nationally understandably have an obsession with getting things rights and avoiding errors, given the clear and singular downside associated with mistakes in the medical profession. Although it is certainly true that errors committed by medical professionals in hospitals and clinics across the country do not routinely result in adverse outcomes, it is...
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