Posts by Christopher Nace
Surgical Malpractice – “Never Events” That Occur Too Often
Even the most simple of surgeries can elicit concern for patients. While surgeons and other medical professionals are highly trained in their craft, human error is always a possibility. Beyond simple errors, there is also the potential for acute carelessness and negligence that can result in serious complications or injury. Surgical malpractice can produce long-term…
Read MoreVideomicroscope Technology Making Surgery More Efficient and Precise
For many decades, Olympus has developed and manufactured some of the top high-technology photography equipment in the industry. Over the years, the company has expanded its product portfolio, offering innovative equipment solutions for the medical field, and specifically for surgical procedures. In late 2017 the company unveiled its new 4K-3D Video Microscope, ORBEYE. The new…
Read MoreChicago Tribune Covers the Myths About Opiods
There is no question that the opioid epidemic is one of the greatest public health crises of our lifetimes. The record is deep with stories of tragic overdoses and towns that have been decimated by opioid abuse. In fact, the epidemic has even been blamed for lowering life-expectancy in the United States. This Chicago Tribune…
Read MoreFerguson v. United States Government: A Case Review
The caption of this case was originally Ferguson v. United States Government, Anonymous Hospital and Anonymous Physician. The Hospital and Physician both settled. The Government, however, who was effectively representing the pediatrician, would not engage in meaningful negotiations. The case was tried in the Northern District for West Virginia, “non-jury” because of the Federal Tort Claims…
Read MoreCan Couples Sue Fertility Clinics for Reproductive Negligence?
As technological advances in medicine make it possible for older people and those with fertility challenges to become pregnant and give birth, increasing numbers of people are using fertility clinics. Just as in any other medical field, fertility specialists and their staff make preventable mistakes. However, with reproductive negligence or malpractice, the stakes are incredibly…
Read MoreThe FDA Takes on Pharmacy Errors and Medication Errors by Changing Drug Packaging
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is taking on medication errors by changing drug packaging and labeling. Medication errors are a massive problem in the healthcare systems of the United States. The Institute of Medicine reports that as many as 98,000 Americans die each year because of medical errors, and up to 7,000 of…
Read MoreMedication Errors Caused by Negligent Bar Code Medication Administration
Medication errors in a health care setting are rampant despite efforts to solve the problem. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality defines an adverse drug event (ADE) as harm experienced by a patient because of exposure to a medication. ADEs account for approximately 700,000 emergency room visits and 100,000 hospitalizations each year. The AHQR…
Read MoreThousands Die from Medical Negligence Every Year. So Why Aren’t They Filing Lawsuits?
On December 10, 2017, the Center for Justice & Democracy released the “Medical Malpractice: By the Numbers” briefing book. The 178-page document delves deeply into what types of cases are being filed and why, but also addresses the reasons behind why so few victims of medical errors actually file lawsuits. Their information is based on…
Read MoreDr. Charles Akoda Is Not a Real Person, But That Didn’t Stop Him from Practicing Medicine
At least 100 women have come forward claiming to be patients of Dr. Charles Akoda at Prince George’s Hospital Center in Maryland. The problem is that Dr. Charles Akoda is not a real person; he’s an identity thief who managed to fool both hospital administrators and patients for eight years, as he practiced as an…
Read MoreThe VA Willingly Hires Doctors with Malpractice Claims Against Them
Back in October, USA TODAY published a piece about their investigation into allegations of medical malpractice at the VA hospital in Togus, Maine. They discovered that a podiatrist named Thomas Franchini was responsible for mistakes that harmed veterans in 88 different cases. Instead of firing Franchini outright, the VA “let him quietly resign and move…
Read MoreGestational Diabetes Linked to Long-Term Risk of Cardiovascular Disease
Gestational diabetes is blood sugar condition affecting pregnant women. Unlike Type I or Type II diabetes, gestational diabetes is not permanent, though mothers who develop it may be at a greater risk of developing Type II later on in life. A recent study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, aimed to discover if there was a…
Read MoreThe Vulnerability of Medical Devices to Cybersecurity Breaches
You have likely heard of, and may well have been a victim of, a cyber security breach where sensitive, personal information was hacked from the servers of a bank, a credit bureau or even a major health care insurer. Medical devices such as pacemakers and insulin pumps are now connected to wireless networks so that…
Read MoreWhy the Obstetrics Ward Ordered to be Shutdown at Washington D.C.’s United Medical Center
Back in August, regulators from the Washington, D.C. Department of Health closed the Obstetrics Department at the United Medical Center, the only full-service hospital in Southeast Washington. The Washington Post obtained a letter to Luis A. Hernandez, CEO of UMC, from the D.C. Department of Health, advising him that they were restricting the hospital’s license,…
Read MoreGo Big Before You Go Home: Paulson & Nace Made Waves at This Year’s AAJ Conference
In July, the American Association for Justice held its annual convention in Boston. It was another well-attended meeting, filled with helpful seminars and panels, networking opportunities and excellent opportunities to make new friends and spend time with old ones. But the attorneys here at Paulson & Nace, PLLC kept pretty busy at this year’s convention,…
Read MoreChristopher T. Nace and Barry J. Nace Named to The Best Lawyers in America©
Paulson & Nace, PLLC, is proud to announce that partner Christopher T. Nace and firm founder Barry J. Nace have both been selected for inclusion in the 24th edition of The Best Lawyers in America©. This is Chris’s 5th consecutive year being named to this exclusive list. He was selected for his work in the…
Read MoreSeven Emergency Surgical Procedures Account for 80% of Medical Complications and Deaths
Approximately 3 million Americans undergo surgery each year in the United States with some of those procedures being elective and others are emergencies. All surgeries carry varying degrees of risk, and every time a patient goes under the knife they open themselves up to the opportunity for a medical mistake. The Washington Post reported on…
Read MoreKiller Drug Fentanyl is Fueling the Opioid Epidemic Death Rate
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1998 to treat cancer breakthrough pain, but with additional safety measures. The dangerous drug was prescribed and dispensed in the form of transdermal patches and lozenges. Today, however, many of the cases of fentanyl-related injuries may be attributed to counterfeit fentanyl, which is sold on the black market…
Read MoreA Doctor’s Negligence Injured a Newborn, but Taxpayers Were Left with the Bill
When you think of medical malpractice, what comes to mind might include a doctor making an honest mistake, a miscalculation, or some confusion in communication among the medical team ended in an error that harmed a patient. But would you think that a doctor, who was in the process of delivering a baby who was…
Read MoreWhen Psychiatric Care Crosses the Line into Medical Malpractice
Most people associate medical malpractice with errors made by medical physicians in the care of their patients. However, just like medical doctors, psychiatrists have a duty to perform their professional duties with a reasonable standard of care. The personal nature of psychiatric treatment creates an extremely delicate relationship that can easily become inappropriate if the…
Read MoreBMW’s Parked Cars Are Spontaneously Combusting, and No One Seems to Know Why
There have been a number of vehicle recalls in the last three years that warranted serious investigation: Takat’s exploding airbags, Jeep’s defective gear shifters, Volkswagen’s faulty emissions testers. Not since the Ford Pinto, however, have we seen something as dangerous or as serious as this. BMW cars are spontaneously combusting even while they are turned…
Read MoreAmtrak Engineer Charged with Involuntary Manslaughter Stemming from the 2015 Derailment
In May of 2015, eight people died and more than 200 sustained injuries after an Amtrak train derailed outside of Philadelphia. Now, two years later, the victims and their families may actually obtain the justice they seek; The New York Times reports that the engineer, Brandon Bostian, was charged with involuntary manslaughter on May 12,…
Read MoreThe TLA-DC’s Annual Gala Was Truly An Affair to Remember
On May 13, 2017, the Trial Lawyers Association of Washington, DC hosted its 62nd Annual Awards Dinner, themed An Affair to Remember at the historic Howard Theater. This year’s gala was put together by Paulson & Nace, PLLC’s own Christopher T. Nace, who was elevated to the position of President of the TLA-DC at the event.…
Read MoreCan Prescribing Doctors be Liable for Medication Addictions?
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) reports that prescription drug abuse is a larger problem than ever before, with the rate of opioid pain medication overdose deaths tripling between 1990 and 2010. Opioids are the most addictive types of pain medications, affecting the brain in a manner similar to heroin or cocaine. Pain medication addiction…
Read MorePatients are Dying from Sepsis While Doctors Wait for a Study
The Virginian Pilot recently reported about Dr. Paul Marik, a physician at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, who is successfully treating sepsis patients with a surprisingly simple concoction. While treating a patient with severe sepsis, the chief of pulmonary and critical care at Virginia Eastern Medical School decided to order IV infusions of a combination of…
Read MoreAre My Breast Implants Making Me Sick?
The fatal condition is not breast cancer, but a rare malignancy that develops in the immune system called anaplastic large-cell lymphoma. This non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is a cancer that attacks the cells of the immune system and that can develop in various areas of the body. In cases linked to breast cancer, the disease develops within…
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