Arnold & Stafford Legal Blog

Signs you are a victim of a surgical error

On behalf of Arnold & Stafford, Attorneys at Law posted in Surgical Errors on Friday, August 16, 2019.

Surgical errors happen all too often in hospitals all across Georgia and the rest of the country. There are many different ways you can be a victim of a surgical error. You might not realize you are a victim until you've been sent home from the hospital and something goes seriously wrong with your health. Today, we will provide you with the signs you could be a victim of a surgical error.

A common sign that you are a victim of a surgical error is that you constantly feel sick following the surgery. This could be due to the fact that the surgeon left a sponge, towel or surgical tool inside your body after closing you up at the end of the surgery.

Explaining the dangers of drugged driving

On behalf of Arnold & Stafford, Attorneys at Law posted in DUI/DWI on Friday, August 9, 2019.

Getting behind the wheel after using drugs can be deadly for the driver, their passengers and others around them on the roads of Georgia. Different drugs have different effects on a person's ability to drive a vehicle. For example, using cocaine and then driving can make a person aggressive or reckless. Using marijuana and then driving will slow a driver's reaction time. Today, we will explain the dangers of drugged driving.

There have been many studies conducted on the affects of drug use and driving, but it can be very difficult to ascertain the true impact because many people like to mix substances. For example, many people mix alcohol with opioid or marijuana and then drive a vehicle. This makes it hard to pinpoint the impact drugs have on your ability to drive when alcohol is present.

Explaining Schedule 1 drugs

On behalf of Arnold & Stafford, Attorneys at Law posted in Drug Charges on Friday, August 2, 2019.

Schedule 1 drugs are defined as drugs that have no medical use and also have a high likelihood for abuse, according to the Federal government. Schedule 1 drugs are defined in the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), which is part of the Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970. Any drug labeled as Schedule 1 is considered the most dangerous in the world.

The list of Schedule 1 drugs includes the following:

Peyote
Heroin
Methaqualone
LSD
Ecstasy
Marijuana
GHB
Bath salts
Synthetic marijuana
Khat
MDMA

The dangers of failing to diagnose a patient properly

On behalf of Arnold & Stafford, Attorneys at Law posted in Misdiagnosis on Friday, July 26, 2019.

The failure to diagnose a patient properly can be deadly. That is the worst-case scenario a doctor can face. Why? Failing to diagnose a patient with the proper illness or disease can turn deadly, especially if the issue is not found before it is too late. Today, we will explore the dangers of failing to diagnose a patient properly.

One of the biggest dangers of failing to diagnose a patient is that they will be behind on receiving the correct treatment. Your doctor might be treating you right now, but if you were misdiagnosed, you are likely receiving the wrong treatment. The wrong treatment, even though it is a treatment, will not help rectify the illness or disease you really have.

Common problems with medical informed consent forms

On behalf of Arnold & Stafford, Attorneys at Law on Tuesday, July 23, 2019.

When you seek medical care, you put your trust in the knowledge and experience of doctors and other health care staff. However, that does not mean they can do whatever they want. Before offering you any treatment, they need to make sure you know your options.

Many facilities ensure this step happens by having you sign a consent form that states you have received and understood information regarding treatment options, benefits and risks, along with your consent or refusal of the chosen treatment. This sounds good and straightforward, yet the process is not perfect and presents communication problems.

Common types of surgical errors

On behalf of Arnold & Stafford, Attorneys at Law posted in Surgical Errors on Friday, July 19, 2019.

Surgical errors are all too common throughout Georgia and the rest of the country. When these mistakes are made, it can lead to traumatic injuries and even death for the patient. Surgical errors are a form of medical malpractice, which means the plaintiff can file a claim for compensation to help pay for their medical bills, lost wages and other expenses.

The most common types of surgical errors include the following:

Surgical items left inside the patient after the surgical area is closed
Surgeon operates on the wrong patient
Surgeon operates on the wrong body part of the correct patient
The anesthesia fails and the patient wakes up too soon
Damage done to the nerves of the patient

How police officers spot possible drunk drivers

On behalf of Arnold & Stafford, Attorneys at Law posted in DUI/DWI on Friday, July 12, 2019.

Getting behind the wheel of a vehicle after having too much to drink can bring with it myriad problems. There might be times where you are never caught, and there might be times where you come across a checkpoint. Then, there might be times where an officer simply spots you and is concerned about how you are driving, which leads to a traffic stop. Today, we will explain what it is officers look for in possible drunk drivers.

When it comes to spotting potentially impaired drivers, police officers will look for the following behaviors on the road:

Speeding or going too slow for the speed limit
Tailgating
Erratic movements
Rapid or frequent lane changes
Driving at night without headlights
Taking too long to accelerate when a light changes from red to green
Sitting stopped at an intersection when no other traffic is coming
Weaving in and out of traffic
Narrowly missing hitting other vehicles or stationary objects
Hitting parked cars
Braking constantly or for no reason
Driving on any surface other than the road
Driving in the shoulder
Failing to stay off the dividing lines

Why you should never fight drug charges alone

On behalf of Arnold & Stafford, Attorneys at Law posted in Drug Charges on Friday, July 5, 2019.

If you are ever arrested for possession of a drug, possession with intent to distribute or any other drug charge; you should never fight these charges by yourself. Many people believe they can represent themselves in court, but it's too stressful of a situation to do so effectively. Today, we will explain why you should always have a criminal defense attorney by your side when facing drug charges in Hinesville, Georgia.

First and foremost, you do not know the law. The law is complicated, especially when it comes to drug charges. You can be hit with a slew of different charges when arrested for a drug crime, many of which could very well be dropped if you knew the law. A defense attorney can help get charges reduced or dropped.

Why second and third opinions matter

On behalf of Arnold & Stafford, Attorneys at Law posted in Misdiagnosis on Friday, June 28, 2019.

Going to the doctor regularly can wind up saving your life. You might have routine tests conducted that find elevated blood pressure, elevated white blood cell count and other indicators of serious illnesses or diseases. But, not every doctor will diagnosis you correctly. That's why it's important to seek out a second and third opinion from other doctors when diagnosed with a serious health condition.

Do not feel uncomfortable, which some people do, by seeking a second or third opinion. You are not doubting your doctor, who you might have been seeing for decades. Instead, you are making sure that what you were told is accurate so that you can move forward with the appropriate treatment.

Medical providers owe it to patients and themselves to be safe

On behalf of Arnold & Stafford, Attorneys at Law posted in Surgical Errors on Monday, June 24, 2019.

A recent study published by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) captures how doctors who follow safety protocols can protect both their patients and themselves by doing so.

The researchers refer to a medical provider's obligation to adhere to patient safety standards as essential.