Our healthcare system works hard to ensure the best possible care for patients while preventing medical mistakes. But there are times when errors do occur and—whether they are the result of negligence, a lack of knowledge, supervision or safety mechanisms—the victims of them can often recover compensation for some of the injuries they suffer.
Medical malpractice is the body of law that helps harmed or fatally-injured patients and their families through the financial and emotional difficulties of medical mistakes. Cases take on many forms, and virtually any surgery, diagnosis or treatment can become a malpractice case if a patient is harmed as the result of someone else’s negligence.
It is important to remember, however, that just because an error occurred during medical treatment, it is not necessarily medical malpractice. What must be proved, from a legal perspective, is a breach of what is called the “standard of care”—the duty our physicians have to practice with the same skill and expertise as a reasonably competent doctor in the same area of medicine. A healthcare professional has only breached that duty if he or she acts negligently when working with a patient.
These cases are often very difficult to prove, and take a legal team that can thoroughly and effectively review medical records and determine fault. At Kolsby Gordon, our legal team includes a board-certified medical doctor and a nurse who are also fully-qualified attorneys.
Thanks to this in-house experience and our deep understanding of the legal issues involved in medical cases, we have developed a national reputation for succeeding in the most challenging medical malpractice cases. And if an adequate settlement cannot be made on behalf of our client, we are not afraid to go to trial.
Learn more about some of the most common forms of medical malpractice by clicking to the right. And please contact one of our medical malpractice lawyers if you feel you may have been harmed due to the negligence of a medical professional. Our team of medical malpractice lawyers has offices throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey, including Philadelphia.
We are dedicated to helping victims of personal injury make a full monetary recovery to ease the financial burden that is often associated with medical malpractice.
Cases
$10.9 Million Settlement for Child Brain Injured by Medical Negligence in ICU.
A child’s medical team failed to provide him with appropriate care while he was recovering in the PICU. The child was deprived of oxygen for several minutes, causing him to suffer catastrophic brain injuries.
$3.75 Million Settlement for Medical Malpractice during a TOLAC delivery.
Medical negligence occurred during a trial of labor after cesarian section (TOLAC). As a result, despite head cooling treatment, the child suffered developmental delays.
Teen who suffered catastrophic brain damage awarded $18.5 million
A 15-year-old boy was brought to the hospital after suffering injuries in a motor vehicle collision. Because a surgeon failed to perform necessary brain surgery in a timely manner, the young man suffered catastrophic brain damage.
Brain damaged patient receives $10 million
Following a routine outpatient procedure, the hospital staff failed to react to signs that the patient was deteriorating into respiratory distress. By the time action was taken, it was too late and the patient suffered catastrophic brain damage.
$6.7 Million Settlement for failure to properly monitor anesthesia causes brain injury to patient
A patient underwent a successful diagnostic procedure. The nurses failed to monitor the effects of anesthesia as he was recovering, causing injury to part of his brain that affected his speech and coordination.
$5.5 Million awarded to woman for delay in diagnosing her impending stroke
A woman presented to a hospital emergency department with stroke symptoms. The doctor and nurses did not follow protocol and failed to give her correct medication to prevent permanent injury. She needs assistance with walking and cannot return to work.
Misdiagnosed cancer leads to $5.3 million recovery
Our plaintiff underwent a biopsy of a mole on his back. The biopsy was read as normal when in fact the mole showed signs of the early stages of cancer. The cancer was not diagnosed until years later, after it had spread throughout his body, and the delayed diagnosis cost the plaintiff the chance of treating the cancer early and curing the disease.
Failure to give routine vaccination causes brain infection and recovery of $5.2 Million
After seeing a new doctor for a physical, a complete history was not taken. This caused the doctor to overlook our client’s vaccination history and a required shot was not given. When he contracted meningitis, he could not return to his previous employment. The settlement was reached as the jury was deliberating.
$4.125 Million Settlement for failure to monitor patient with breathing tube leads to brain damage
A young woman required a temporary breathing tube while she recovered from an allergic reaction. The rehab facility failed to perform the necessary cleaning leading to a clogged tube. There was a delay in recognizing the problem until a cardiopulmonary arrest occurred leading to brain injury.
$5 Million Settlement for a misread CT scan leads to ruptures brain aneurysm and death
After being seen in the emergency department and having CT scan, our client was admitted for headaches. Before any further tests could be completed, she died. The CT scan written report differed from the oral report given to the doctor and was later discovered to be in error.
$4.75 Million Settlement for failure to properly treat breathing problem leads to cardiac arrest
Our client was admitted to the intensive care unit for a serious medical problem. When he started to complain of breathing problems, no change in his treatment occurred. He was transferred to another hospital but had a cardiac arrest before they could properly treat his problem.
$4.75 Million Settlement for delay in delivering infant leads to birth injuries
Our client had delivered by C-section in the past and now was in labor. Changes in the fetal monitor were ignored until too late. The child, today, has learning disabilities and a poor outlook for future school success.
$4 Million Settlement for delay in delivering infant in distress leading to birth injuries
Mom was admitted to labor and delivery and it was decided that due to low heart rate a C-section would be performed. Anesthesia was called but multiple attempts to perform epidural anesthesia failed before eventually using general anesthesia. The delay caused severe developmental delay in the child.
$3.5 Million Settlement for failure to timely diagnose and treat a bowel complication as well as timely respond to a code call
The patient was admitted to a local hospital for a bone marrow transplant and, prior to the procedure, the patient had been unable to move his bowels for over a week. The physicians failed to appropriately treat this issue and, as a result, the patient sustained a cardiac arrest. A code was called, but the code team was directed to the wrong floor. As a result of the delay, the patient sustained an anoxic brain injury and ultimately died.
$3 Million Settlement for failure to recognize respiratory arrest resulting in permanent brain damage
A patient who was suffering from a degenerative neurological condition and was wheelchair-bound upon admission was being cared for at a hospital. During the hospital stay, the patient suffered a respiratory arrest as a result of the Defendants’ conduct and sustained permanent brain damage.
$3 Million Settlement for delay in the timely diagnosis of lung cancer
A delay in the timely diagnosis of lung cancer allowed the disease to spread throughout the patient’s body. By the time the cancer was properly diagnosed, treatment was ineffective and the patient died.
$3 Million Settlement for patients chest pain was misdiagnosed leading to heart attack and permanent
damage
The patient was receiving IV medication as an outpatient for headaches. When he complained of chest pain no EKG was taken and he wasn’t seen by a doctor. The nurses had wrongly concluded that he was just having a reaction to the medication and sent him home where he had the heart attack.
$3 Million Settlement for misread Xray leads to delay in diagnosis of lung cancer and death
Our client had a small “spot” noted on a routine chest Xray. He was sent for a follow up CT scan which was misread. Based on a “normal” CT he was told there was no need for further investigation. Three years later he started coughing and a large tumor was found in the same area of the “spot”. He had lost his chance for a very likely cure. After prolonged illness he succumbed to his cancer.
$2.5 Million Settlement for complications following weight loss surgery leading to multiple surgeries
A woman underwent successful weight loss surgery. When she developed a leak at the site where internal staples are used the surgeon did not use standard and available methods to correct the problem. She underwent multiple corrective surgeries to deal with ongoing problems.
$2 Million Settlement for failure of a surgeon to identify a known post-operative complication
A gentleman was in a local hospital and he underwent cancer surgery. Following the cancer surgery, the patient suffered a known complication of the procedure, but the surgeon failed to recognize and treat it in a timely fashion. As a result, the patient underwent a prolonged period of recuperation. Further, the treatment for his cancer was delayed, making a recovery from the cancer much more difficult.
$2 Million Settlement for surgeon caused injuries during cardiac surgery
A patient who underwent by-pass cardiac surgery in a Bucks County hospital sustained multiple complications, requiring several surgeries and was transferred to another hospital for ultimate treatment. The patient sustained permanent cardiac injury.
$1.2 Million Settlement for stroke caused by physician stopping medication prior to a procedure
A woman in Luzerne County was scheduled to undergo a GI procedure when the physician inappropriately stopped her blood thinner prior to the procedure. As a result, the patient suffered a stroke with serious and permanent injuries.
$1.2 Million Settlement for hospital and doctor provided the wrong medication
A woman presented to a rural county hospital with stroke symptoms. The physician provided the wrong medication to a patient who had sustained a stroke. As a result of the administration of the incorrect medication, the patient never received the appropriate clot-busting stroke medication. The patient was left with permanent injuries limiting some of her physical functioning.
$1 Million Settlement for failure to properly refill a pain pump
A woman in Lehigh County went to have her pain pump refilled in a pain clinic. She left the facility and, while being driven home, passed out. She was taken to a local hospital where it was determined that she was suffering from a morphine overdose. It was ultimately determined that the clinic failed to properly refill the morphine pain pump and, in fact, injected the morphine directly into the patient. The woman survived, but has been left with respiratory complications.
