A recent product recall is causing some families to investigate why their loved one died during dialysis treatment. The Food and Drug Administration has ordered the recall of several products that are used during dialysis. The drugs have been linked to a condition known as metabolic alkalosis, which is a…
In 2010 the Tennessee General Assembly adopted the phrase "health care liability action" to encompass virtually all types of claims against health care professionals. This claims include all claims formerly known as "medical malpractice" or ‘medical negligence" cases. The Legislature took this action because it was unhappy with a decision…
Seventy-nine (79) more people died on Tennessee highways in 2012 than the total deaths reported in 2011, according to figures released by the Tennessee Highway Patrol. Some 1016 people died on Tennessee highways in 2012, compared with 937 deaths in 2011. Here are more statistics from the Tennessee Highway Patrol’s…
Sleepy drivers pose a hazard on Tennessee roadways, not only to themselves put also to others using the roadway. Drowsy drivers pose a risk to drivers of cars, trucks, motorcycles, bicycles and even pedestrians on Tennessee roads. Drowsy drivers cause 2.5% of fatal motor vehicle crashes and 2.0% of all…
A high percentage of Tennessee car accident cases are settled before a lawsuit is filed. However, if a lawsuit is necessary, there are new rules about where a lawsuit against an individual sued in a Tennessee automobile accident case be filed. Under the new rules, an individual can only be…
The failure to take appropriate steps to prevent a pulmonary embolism or the failure to diagnose a pulmonary embolism may constitute medical malpractice. People with the following conditions are at risk for pulmonary embolus: Patients who have undergone a surgery lasting more than 2 hours. Patients who have experienced prolonged…
Most people are shocked to learn that people can catch on fire in an operating room. However, several hundred operating room fires occur every year. True, the odds of being involved in an operating room fire are quite small (there are 28 million surgeries per year) but the consequences of…
Recent data suggests that 24% of Tennessee drivers do not have liability insurance on their vehicle. Liability insurance exists to make monetary payments to those who are injured as a result of a negligent error by a person who has the insurance. Tennessee state law requires every driver to have…
The National Highway Traffic Safety Adminstration has found that alcohol-impaired-driving fatalities declined by 2.5 percent in 2011 (Table 3), accounting for 31 percent of overall fatalities. The number of Tennessee deaths caused by drunk drivers is not yet available. An alcohol-impaired-driving fatality is defined as a fatality in a crash…
The federal government has determined that 3,092 people died last year in "distraction-affected" crashes, a newly refined measurement meant to tally the effect of texting, phoning or simply answering a call while driving. The report did not break down the data by state, but Tennessee has about 2% of the…