Healthcare Archives - Atlanta Georgia Wrongful Death Lawyer

Broward jail’s healthcare vendor didn’t disclose wrongful-death payout – MiamiHerald.com

A Miami healthcare company looking to renew its multimillion dollar contract to care for Broward’s jail inmates did not disclose in bid documents that it paid an $ 800,000 wrongful-death settlement earlier this year in Tampa.
Broward Sheriff’s Office procurement rules require bidders to disclose any malpractice cases filed against them or their employees in the past five years, and any pending litigation, judgments and settlements in the past three years.
Armor Correctional Health Services, the top-ranked bidder, sent a June 4 proposal to BSO that includes a 14-page list of 150 malpractice lawsuits. No mention is made of the case of Allen Daniel Hicks, who spent nearly 36 hours in custody in a Tampa jail without treatment for a stroke that ultimately killed him.
In a cover letter to BSO, Armor Chief Executive Officer Bruce A. Teal boasted that Armor had “zero (0) settlements in the last three (3) years.”
Not so.
Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) and Hillsborough Circuit Court records show Armor and the HCSO jointly agreed in January to pay a total of $ 1 million to settle claims made by Hicks’ estate. The deal, which included a $ 200,000 payout by HSCO, was approved Feb. 26 by a probate judge and reported by The Tampa Bay Times on July 6.
Hicks suffered “severe brain damage” while waiting for treatment, according to a Jan. 7 memo by HSCO’s lawyer that summarized a sworn statement by the Tampa General Hospital neurosurgeon who treated Hicks.
The “delay in medical care resulted in Mr. Hicks’ death, which could have been avoided had Mr. Hicks been sent to the emergency room,” the memo says.
A receiving doctor “was extremely critical of [...]

By jwj|August 2nd, 2013|News|Comments Off|

New Virginia Law Allows Fetal Wrongful Death Lawsuits

June 24, 2012 /24-7PressRelease/ — In April, Governor McDonnell signed into a law a bill that allows expectant parents to sue for the wrongful death of their unborn child. The law was one of several abortion-rights related bills that were introduced in the state legislature this session, though it did not divide legislators as the other bills have. It was sponsored by several Republican senators and passed in the Senate 33-6.Provisions of the Wrongful Death of a Fetus Law

The bill will provide expectant parents recourse for the wrongful death of their fetus. Any death caused by the wrongful act, neglect or default of any person, corporation, ship or vessel would be subject to the law, including medical malpractice by a doctor or other medical professional.

Perpetrators of domestic abuse or neglect that causes the death of a fetus may be held responsible under the new law. However, the law prohibits individuals from bringing personal injury lawsuits against the natural mother.

Liability Considerations in the Wrongful Death of a Fetus

Since the law allows parents to sue for several different reasons, it is important to understand the nuances of each claim.

First, medical professionals could be held accountable for medical malpractice. Medical malpractice occurs when a doctor or other health care professional is negligent in his or her duties to provide adequate care, including failure to follow accepted standards of practice. Hospitals may be held accountable if they failed to provide adequate training to staff or reasonable safety and health standards in their facilities.

Others may be held accountable for negligence or abuse they committed. The wrongful death of a fetus may have resulted from someone’s careless actions or failing to take reasonable care that would be expected in a [...]

By jwj|June 24th, 2012|News|Comments Off|