Arnold & Stafford Legal Blog

What do they mean by 'never events' in the medical field?

On behalf of Arnold & Stafford, Attorneys at Law posted in Surgical Errors on Friday, October 18, 2019.

The term "never event" is a bit of a misnomer since these disastrous medical mistakes happen with alarming frequency. A former chief executive officer (CEO) of the National Quality Forum (NQF) coined the term back in 2001 to refer to errors that should never have occurred and which put patients at extraordinary and needless risk.

One example of this is wrong-site surgical events like a doctor removing a patient's healthy kidney instead of its withered and diseased counterpart. In the ensuing years, the definition has expanded to include seven categories comprising 29 serious reportable events:

Product or device
Surgical or procedural
Environmental
Care management
Patient protection
Criminal
Radiologic

Protect your teens from DUI arrests on homecoming night

On behalf of Arnold & Stafford, Attorneys at Law posted in DUI/DWI on Friday, October 11, 2019.

Parents of high school age teens likely don't need the calendar to remind them that homecoming season is once again in full swing. The excitement is nearly palpable as your teenager plans their homecoming dance wardrobe and plots their course for the big night.

But don't allow your kids to get so caught up in the excitement that they make foolhardy plans that include drinking and driving. The below tips may help you convince your teen that a sober homecoming is the only experience to have.

Why buzzed driving is considered drunk driving

On behalf of Arnold & Stafford, Attorneys at Law posted in DUI/DWI on Friday, October 4, 2019.

One of the most visible campaigns every holiday season throughout Georgia and the rest of the country is the "Buzzed Driving" campaign. This campaign is an effort to educate people that "buzzed driving is drunk driving." It's an effort to show people that they can still be charged with drunk driving even though they think they are slightly buzzed.

In order to determine if you are buzzed, take a look at the situation. If you have to think about getting behind the wheel even for a second, you are too buzzed to drive. If you wind up asking yourself, "Am I okay to drive," you likely are not sober enough to drive. Any second-guessing should be a sign that you should not drive home.

How to fight intent to distribute drug charge

On behalf of Arnold & Stafford, Attorneys at Law posted in Drug Charges on Friday, September 27, 2019.

If you are arrested and charged with a drug crime it is important that you understand your rights and protect yourself. A common drug charge levied in Hinesville, Georgia is that of possession with intent to distribute. Just like any other criminal charge, you should fight it with the help of an attorney. Here are some tips for fighting this charge.

The first step in fighting this drug charge is to question the validity of the search conducted that discovered the drugs. Whether the search took place at your home, at your place of employment or in your vehicle; you are protected from illegal search and seizure by the United States Constitution.

How to seek a second medical opinion

On behalf of Arnold & Stafford, Attorneys at Law on Tuesday, September 24, 2019.

Health can be somewhat paradoxical. When you feel well, you likely do not think much about it. If you experience pain, though, your health can be impossible to ignore. While you may trust your doctor to provide effective care, sometimes, you need someone else to provide an opinion.

For a variety of reasons, you may want to seek a second medical opinion. Perhaps you are uncomfortable with your diagnosis or treatment plan. Or, maybe you do not feel any better after following your doctor’s orders. Regardless of your rationale, you need to know how to obtain a successful re-evaluation of your health matter. Here are four tips for seeking an opinion from a different doctor:

How does a misdiagnosis harm a patient?

On behalf of Arnold & Stafford, Attorneys at Law posted in Misdiagnosis on Friday, September 20, 2019.

Being misdiagnosed by your doctor is devastating, especially if you were diagnosed with something not too serious initially. Many victims of misdiagnosis don't realize there is a problem until it is too late. Why? They are often diagnosed with a condition or disease they know is not serious and is easily treatable. Then, their symptoms either don't go away or the symptoms worsen. That leads to a correct diagnosis, which is often severe.

So, how does a misdiagnosis harm a patient?

How surgical errors can turn fatal

On behalf of Arnold & Stafford, Attorneys at Law posted in Surgical Errors on Friday, September 13, 2019.

Surgical errors are horrific mistakes made by surgeons, nurses and other medical professionals who are present when a patient is undergoing surgery. It doesn't matter if you are undergoing a routine procedure or a five-hour surgery to remove a tumor; there's always the possibility that you or a loved one could be the victim of a surgical error. Today, we will discuss some ways that surgical errors can turn fatal.

Infection: A surgical error can turn deadly when an infection develops inside the body where a suture is placed by the surgeon to close a blood vessel. This almost always goes unnoticed until it is too late. The patient can bleed out internally, leading to their tragic passing.

The laws for driving under the influence in Georgia

On behalf of Arnold & Stafford, Attorneys at Law posted in DUI/DWI on Friday, September 6, 2019.

Driving under the influence (DUI) is a serious crime in Georgia. When a person gets behind the wheel of a car or truck after having too much to drink, he or she can wind up causing a serious accident. The Georgia laws for DUI create two different ways a driver can be in violation of DUI: DUI and DUI per se. We will explore these violations in today's post, so you have an understanding of the state law.

When you are in violation of DUI, it happened because a police officer determined you to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol while you were driving. When you are in violation of DUI per se, it happened because you were administered a breath or blood test, and it came back that your blood alcohol content (BAC) level was over the legal limit.

Attending treatment for chemical dependency

On behalf of Arnold & Stafford, Attorneys at Law posted in Drug Charges on Friday, August 30, 2019.

Having an addiction to drugs or alcohol is not easy to deal with in life. Addiction is a disease that many have trouble fixing. It can ruin lives in an instant, causing you to lose your job, your friends and even your loved ones. If you are aware that you have an addiction problem, it's best to seek treatment for chemical dependency as soon as possible so you can get your life back on track.

The first step in getting treatment for chemical dependency is to admit you have a problem to yourself and to someone who is close to you. The next step is to pay a visit to your doctor. The doctor will assess you to determine what type of chemical dependency treatment you should receive for your addiction.

Mistakes lead to misdiagnoses in the emergency room

On behalf of Arnold & Stafford, Attorneys at Law posted in Misdiagnosis on Friday, August 23, 2019.

The emergency room is usually a busy place at any point during the day or night. With dozens of people walking in for care or being brought in via ambulance, mistakes are bound to happen. Despite the emergency room being overrun with patients, doctors and nurses are still required to provide a certain level of care for everyone. Let's look at mistakes that lead to emergency room misdiagnoses.

One of the most common causes for emergency room misdiagnoses is beind admitted to the hospital alone and unconscious. The doctors and nurses might not be able to identify you, leading to the administration of the wrong medications or sending you to the wrong department for testing.