61-year-old Max DeVries was at St. Joseph's in St. Paul for a routine procedure. He was having surgery in March when he rolled off the table, hitting his head. He died five weeks later. Hospital staff says that apparently three straps were not enough to keep the 330-pound man on the table. According to WCCO, "He hit his head on the side where doctors had previously taken out bone to help him recover from a stroke."

Devries' family claims that hospital negligence caused the death of their treasured father. The family is suiing for damages but wishes not to specify the amount. CBS reports, the family is attempting to recover, "the loss of aid, comfort and companionship in the loss of their father. In fact, they claim St. Joseph's staff never admitted what happened to their father until the family pressed staff about the incident."

ProPublica, a non-profit news group, reports that certain states are organized into compacts, allowing nursing licenses to transfer between them. It was designed to help alleviate nursing shortages in individual states. ProPublica reveals and USA Today reports that this compact system has actually allowed bad nurses to move freely between the participating states. If a nurse is disciplined for misconduct in one state, they just pack their things and head to another member of the compact of states.

The screening systems in some of the state groups are lagging. USA Today writes that, "Nurse Craig Peske was fired from a hospital in Wausau, Wis., in 2007 after stealing the powerful painkiller Dilaudid 'whenever the opportunity arose,' state records say. In one three-month period, he signed out 245 syringes full of the drug — nine times the average of hisfellow nurses." He was reported to Wisconsin police. So, Peske moved to North Carolina and became a nurse there, where he could continue his habit.

This lack of screening can significantly affect patient care. If you or someone you know has suffered as a result of hospital negligence, contact experienced Washington medical malpractice lawyers at Fuller & Fuller today.

The state of Washington will be receiving four grants from the Department of Health and Human Services.  The money will be going to state programs that will work to provide and evaluate patient safety standards.  President Barack Obama announced in September 2009 that he would be passing a new health care bill that reformed United States healthcare.  The Washington investments are part of the patient safety and medical liability initiative that Obama included in the bill. 

The projects that will be funded by the grants will involve communication training for healthcare workers, implementation of a plan for integrating a medical liability and patient safety program, contributing to fostering patient-friendly shared decision making tools for patients undergoing surgery and evaluating the best practices for medication risk management.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of medical malpractice or has been medically mistreated in any way, contact the Washington medical malpractice attorneys of Fuller & Fuller by calling 800-570-4878.

A Maryland woman was awarded $3.5 million in compensation in a medical malpractice lawsuit decided this week. The jury ruled that the woman had suffered from medical malpractice in 2008, when two doctors performed a surgery that left her unable to walk.

According to the patient and her lawyer, the surgeons performed an inappropriate technique that did not conform to proper medical standards. The woman experienced spinal damage and blood loss from the surgery that has led to paraplegia. The compensation awarded in the case includes payment for pain and suffering, past medical expenses, and future medical expenses.

If you or someone you love has been injured by medical malpractice, you may have grounds to initiate a lawsuit to recover compensation for your injuries and damages. To learn how you can take action to recover the payment that you deserve, don't  hesitate to contact the Washington surgical malpractice lawyers of Fuller & Fuller by calling 800-570-4878.

A former wide receiver for the Miami Dolphins won a medical malpractice lawsuit. The lawsuit against his former team doctor awarded him more than $11 million. 

The wide receiver apparently sustained a serious toe injury while he was still playing, and he accused his former doctor of malpractice in treating that injury. After the injury, the wide receiver's performance declined significantly. 

If you or anyone you know has questions about a medical malpractice case, contact the Washington medical malpractice attorneys of Fuller & Fuller at 800-570-4878.

When patients bring medical malpractice cases against they doctors or nurses, the cases are not brought before the Washington State Medical Quality Assurance Commission. 

Medical malpractice cases are typically handled by civil courts. In many cases, the cases never make it to court and are settled outside of court. However, if the case makes it to court, it will be handled by a civil court judge. 

If you or anyone you know has questions about a medical malpractice case, contact the Washington medical malpractice lawyers of Fuller & Fuller at 800-570-4878.