Orlando Medical Malpractice Attorneys
Understand Medical Documents Before Signing
New patients in a doctor’s office or outpatient clinic understand that they will have to fill out several different forms in order to receive treatment, but few truly understand the potential ramifications of signing one of the forms often included in the pile of papers. In most cases, one of the forms will be a type of contract called an arbitration agreement, which limits a patient’s right to a jury trial and also limits damages if the patient is a victim of medical malpractice. James O. Cunningham and other Orlando personal injury attorneys have fought against the legality of these contracts for years, as most people do not understand that they are essentially signing away their rights to fair and just compensation if they suffer an injury due to malpractice.
Surgical Instruments Left Inside Patients Often Lead to Serious Health Problems
A recent article in The New York Times tells the story of a 59-year-old nurse in Kentucky who woke one morning to crushing pain in her abdomen. The pain was so debilitating that the woman began to vomit, and she sought immediate medical attention. A CT scan led to a very troubling diagnosis: a surgical sponge left over from a medical procedure years earlier had adhered to her bladder, stomach and abdominal cavity and caused a serious infection that required the removal of a large portion of her intestine. She sued the hospital where the surgery had taken place and won $2.5 million in damages. However, attorneys for the hospital appealed the ruling, and the case is still pending. She now suffers from serious problems with her bowels and is unable to work.
