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$800,000 verdict: Damage to eye muscles causing permanent strabismus during sinus surgery. Dave Moncrief was a graphic designer who started to suffer from headaches. He went to his doctor, who suggested he see an Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) doctor to see if it was his sinuses that were causing his head pain. Even though the CT scan of his sinuses was basically normal, the doctor operated on his sinuses anyway. During the operation the doctor pushed the bone scraper through the sinus bone and into Dave Moncrief’s right eye socket, grabbing an eye muscle and causing damage to the.
When you are sick or injured and in the hospital, you should be able to relax and feel comfortable knowing that the doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists, or technicians who care for you are using equipment that is safe, working properly, inspected for safety, and up to date.
Medical equipment defects, failures, or user error and negligence, unfortunately, are very common and can lead to catastrophic injuries or death. In 1999, the Institute of Medicine issued a report finding that anywhere between 44,000 and 98,000 patients die each year in hospitals as a result of medical errors, including equipment and operator errors or failures. The Beasley Firm, a legendary medical malpractice and product liability law firm in Philadelphia, investigates instances of medical device failure that led to severe injuries.
Our Philadelphia medical device lawyers are among the most qualified attorneys to handle medical equipment failure cases. Our staff includes 5 doctors and nurses, including Dr. James Beasley Jr., our lead attorney. Their 60 collective years of hospital experience means we understand the way that hospital equipment is designed to function-and we know firsthand the consequences of equipment failure.
The Beasley Firm has secured massive results for our clients since 1958:
A free, confidential consultation with our staff will help you determine if you have a case and what you can do about your injuries-call (215) 866-2424 today.
You probably don't realize how much technology is used in a hospital. You, as a patient can be exposed to many medical devices, for example: IV (infusion) pumps, heart monitors, blood sugar monitors, defibrillators, anesthesia machines, blood pressure machines, pulse oximeters, etc. A problem with any of those devices, whether due to a product defect, maintenance or repair problems, operator error, or even something as simple as a dead battery, can lead to permanent injuries or even death.
For instance:
You should not have to worry about these possibilities. It is the responsibility of the product manufacturers and hospital staff to monitor it regularly and be trained to use it properly. Sadly, that does not always happen.
Hospitals and medical centers have a responsibility to perform proper and regular maintenance on the medical equipment they use. If the devices are improperly maintained, or not maintained at all, it can lead to equipment malfunctioning or device failure. Staff and patients rely on this equipment for a proper diagnosis, monitoring, prompt treatment, and patient safety.
Negligence in the maintenance of the medical devices can lead to very painful and life altering consequences for patients such as you, your spouse, your child, or parents. It can lead to catastrophic, life-altering events, including death. Our Philadelphia product liability attorneys have seen it happen far too often to our clients and their families.
Even simple tasks, like changing the batteries on a PCA, pain pump, or a blood sugar monitor such as accu-check, or making sure that the suction equipment is functioning and in its proper place, often go undone. Because of those oversights, a patient may get a deadly dose of pain medication or a patient with a dangerously high or low blood sugar will not be treated, leading to lifelong injuries, long-term medical expenses, or even death.
Often in a hospital, if the nurses do not want to hear the alarms ringing all the time, they will turn the alarms off or change the high and low settings to deadly alert levels. Nearly all of our nurses and doctors that work on our medical device team have witnessed other healthcare providers turning off or changing settings on alarms. That is not something you would see in a medical record, but because we have teams of nurses and physicians that actually worked in hospitals, we are well aware of what can happen beyond the medical records. The same alarm overrides are done to bed alarms, call bells, ventilators, medication pumps, and pulse ox monitors. As a result of these operator errors and negligence, serious catastrophic injuries can occur.
A recent news story is a prime example of what can go wrong in a hospital when the equipment is not properly maintained. A patient undergoing heart bypass surgery died when a pump failed that was meant to keep his blood flowing to his body and brain during an operation. Not only did the actual device fail, but the hospital itself did not notify the manufacturer and proper authorities after the incident. The pump was then still used on other patients without going through the correct maintenance procedures, thus endangering the lives of many more patients.
On February 17, 2011, Medtronic SynchroMed infusion pumps were recalled due to a design defect that led to refilling errors. As a result, doctors unknowingly missed the device and injected the drugs straight into patients' bodies. That design defect led to hundreds of reported injuries from the Medtronic SynchroMed pump, including deaths.
In January, Medtronic, Inc. sent an "Urgent Medical Device Correction" letter to doctors, hospitals, and healthcare providers warning them that there was a problem with the pumps that allow a "pocket fill," that could cause serious injury or death due to drug overdose. In that letter, Medtronic indicated that there had been at least 351 reports of pocket fill problems. Due to the machine's design defect, 8 people have died and 270 people required emergency care due to serious or life threatening injuries. Additionally, there were approximately 73 other incidents in which there was a non-life threatening injury or Medtronic did not know the outcome after the error.
Medtronic estimates that approximately 1 in every 10,000 SynchroMed drug refill attempts by doctors or healthcare professionals cause a pocket fill. However, the actual rate of occurrence could be much higher because many medical mistakes are not reported.
Since 1958, The Beasley Firm has successfully represented patients just like you or your loved one that have been harmed as a result of negligence or product liability. Our years of hospital experience allows us to see past medical records or hospital reports to understand what truly caused your injuries.
The legendary Philadelphia product liability lawyers of The Beasley Firm have been awarded in excess of $2 billion dollars and have sustained hundreds of verdicts, settlements, and awards in excess of $1 million dollars. Thanks to our thorough case preparation, founded on decades of hospital experience and legal skill, we have been able to secure the futures of thousands of clients.
Our record of success speaks for itself. If you or a loved one has been wrongfully injured or killed due to medical equipment, please contact one of our experienced Philadelphia medical device lawyers at (215) 866-2424.
The information on this website is for general information purposes only. Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship.
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