LAW OFFICES OF JUDY SNYDER LAW BLOG

When is it safest to undergo a surgical procedure?

On behalf of scott brown of Law Offices of Judy Snyder posted in Surgical Errors on Friday, June 5, 2020.

American College of Surgeons data shows that the average person in this country undergoes just over nine surgeries during their lifetime. Many patients follow their doctor's recommendations and never get a second opinion. Patients also allow schedulers to decide when and where an operation is going to take place. These individuals do a disservice to themselves when they allow others to make decisions for them.

You might have heard someone tell you that you should always opt for a morning surgery if you can. Have you ever wondered what's the reason behind that recommendation, though? It has to do with your body's natural rhythms.

Wrong-site surgery and a pneumonectomy

On behalf of scott brown of Law Offices of Judy Snyder posted in Surgical Errors on Wednesday, May 27, 2020.

No type of wrong-site surgery is minor to the patient. Even if the damage is not permanent, having a procedure carried out on the wrong location leads to pain and suffering, unnecessary time in the hospital, lost wages, high bills and many other complications.

That said, some issues are more serious than others. In rare cases, a mistake is so grievous that it could cost the patient their life.

Slip-and-fall hazards in hospitals

On behalf of scott brown of Law Offices of Judy Snyder posted in Hospital Negligence on Friday, May 22, 2020.

Much like any business, a hospital needs to provide a safe space for everyone who walks in the front door. This includes patients, doctors, nurses, visitors, family members, delivery drivers and many more. They should not face increased risks due to negligence.

Unfortunately, the proper steps are not always taken, and hazards may remain in place. This can lead, among many other things, to slip-and-fall accidents. To prevent these, those running hospitals need to:

Keep floors dry at all times and mark wet floors after spills, cleaning and the like.
Prevent the growth of bacteria, mold and fungi on these wet surfaces.
Ensures that floors are always clear, even in high-traffic areas.
Commit to reducing clutter and keeping hallways clear.
Set up all necessary drains, mats, standing surfaces and other safety devices in places where wet floors simply cannot be avoided.
Keep all power cords and extension cords out of the hallways.
Maintain the flooring itself. This could mean replacing broken tiles, for instance, or ripped sections of carpet.

If a pimple won't clear up, it could be cancer

On behalf of scott brown of Law Offices of Judy Snyder posted in Failure to Diagnose on Thursday, May 14, 2020.

Many times, when a doctor fails to diagnose something as dangerous as cancer, the issue isn't that the doctor doesn't see anything at all. It's just that they believe it is not dangerous or they diagnose it as a different condition.

Of course, this type of misidentification can be very problematic. It gives you, the patient, a false sense of security. You may not take the condition as seriously as you should. You may delay treatment. You may allow it to get worse or even ignore future warning signs because you trust the doctor. You believe they got it right, even when they didn't.

What is a neonatal death?

On behalf of scott brown of Law Offices of Judy Snyder posted in Wrongful Death on Thursday, May 7, 2020.

Throughout the course of human history, infant mortality rates have been fairly high. It is difficult for children born into harsh situations to survive. As medical technology has gotten better, the rates in much of the developed world have improved. However, there is still cause for concern.

Approximately 4 out of every 1,000 babies who are both in the U.S. pass away before they have lived for four weeks. This is under 1% of all cases, but you can still imagine how many babies do not make it when you consider the sheer amount of births over a year.

Signs that cancer is getting worse

On behalf of scott brown of Law Offices of Judy Snyder posted in Doctor Errors on Thursday, April 30, 2020.

If you have cancer, the condition will slowly get worse over time without proper treatment. This is why medical professionals need to make a proper diagnosis as soon as possible and get you started on a treatment plan that can give you the best chance of survival. That does not guarantee recovery -- cancer is one of the most dangerous diseases in the world -- but it is still the type of care you deserve.

So, how do you know if the cancer is getting worse? Some potential signs could include:

Increased difficulty breathing
Pain that grows worse from week to week or month to month
The onset of extreme fatigue that makes it impossible for you to live the way that you once did
Extreme physical changes, such as weight loss that you cannot stop no matter what you try
Trouble doing simple physical tasks, such as getting out of bed on your own

Skin cancer isn't always where you expect

On behalf of scott brown of Law Offices of Judy Snyder posted in Wrongful Death on Friday, April 24, 2020.

One reason that doctors may miss skin cancer is that it can show up in nontraditional places where they do not expect to see it. It is most common on the hands, arms, neck and face -- in other words, on all of the places that are most often exposed to direct sunlight. This is where doctors are going to check first.

However, you can get skin cancer elsewhere on your body. For instance, some people have gotten it under a fingernail. This can make the nail turn brown or black. The doctor could overlook it as a fungal infection or an injured nail.

Anesthesia doesn't put you to sleep

On behalf of scott brown of Law Offices of Judy Snyder posted in Surgical Errors on Friday, April 17, 2020.

If doctors are going to put you under general anesthesia, they'll often tell you that you'll be asleep for the procedure. They just do this to calm your nerves and make it sound more natural, however. The reality is that anesthesia does not put you to sleep.

It puts you into a coma.

Employee Rights under the ADA during the COVID-19 Pandemic - what you need to know

By Law Offices of Judy Snyder of Law Offices of Judy Snyder posted in Employment Law on Wednesday, April 15, 2020.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has issued new guidance on the interplay between the current Coronavirus crisis and the Americans with Disabilities Act ("ADA"). That guidance can be read in full here

How many people pass away from cancer?

On behalf of scott brown of Law Offices of Judy Snyder posted in Wrongful Death on Thursday, April 9, 2020.

The fight against cancer is long-enduring and there is, as of yet, no single cure for the disease. It remains one of the most deadly diseases in the United States, the second-leading cause of death behind heart disease. But how many people actually pass away every year?

The statistics can help to put things into perspective. In 2018, the estimates for cancer-related deaths put it at 609,640 people for the year. That works out to around 1,670 people every day. For every 100,000 men and women in the United States, 163.5 people pass away each year. That is the cancer mortality rate based on statistics from 2011 to 2015, as reported by the National Cancer Institute.