Jury Awards $20.5 Million in Medical Malpractice Lawsuit

A Lackawanna County (Pennsylvania) jury handed a family $20.5 million in a medical malpractice suit stemming from a boy’s lasting medical problems caused by mistakes made at his birth. Judge Terrence Nealon said the award was the largest he has presided over in a medical malpractice case in his 10 years on the bench. Jurors found Richard Behlke, M.D., and Community Medical Center were negligent in their treatment of Laura White, who gave birth to her son, Cody, on June 30, 2001. The Whites will receive $2 million of the award for health care expenses and related costs. Cody, who suffers from cerebral palsy, is almost blind and has no use of his hands, was awarded $18.5 million, which he will receive upon turning 18, for lost earning capacity, pain and suffering and medical expenses.

Please click on the link below to read the complete Times Tribune article:

http://www.thetimes-tribune.com/articles/2008/11/23/news/sc_times_trib.20081123.d.pg2.tt24wkinrvw_s1.2111245_loc.txt

The Citron Law Firm, P.A. (www.citronlegal.com) is a civil trial practice law firm that specializes in professional liability and injury cases, commercial and real estate litigation and family law matters.  The Citron Law Firm is located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida at 707 S.E. Third Avenue, Sixth Floor – (954) 712-1686.

When to Get a Second Opinion – Women May Be Reluctant to Consult Another Physician – Why and When You Should

Your doctor is recommending a surgical procedure you’re unsure about. Or maybe you’ve just received a diagnosis you don’t understand. Or perhaps your doctor isn’t giving you any diagnosis at all and you still don’t feel right. In all these situations, you should seek a second opinion from another physician. That’s a message most Americans don’t seem to get. According to a 2005 Gallup poll, about half of 5,000 Americans surveyed said they never seek a second opinion when their doctor “diagnoses a condition, or prescribes a treatment, drug, or operation” while just 3 percent say they always seek one. What’s the problem? In most cases, it’s ignorance of how the health-care system works. Patients just don’t understand that doctors think seeking a second opinion is routine. Many insurers recommend it and some even require it for certain procedures. But women in particular often say they feel awkward about consulting another doctor because they worry that their primary physician will be less than cordial in future visits. In fact, that’s rarely the case. “I think the physician benefits almost as much as the patient from having a second opinion,” says Dr. Charles Cummings, executive medical director of Johns Hopkins Medicine International. “It is always a good idea to get another set of eyes looking at the slides, looking at the lab data … to structure a diagnostic and treatment plan.” Doctors say that both men and women should seek a second opinion in virtually all types of non-emergency surgery, when your doctor recommends long-term medication that has potential side effects and if you are not feeling better despite repeated visits to your doctor. In the first two cases, studies indicate that the second physician is most likely to confirm the initial recommendation, but may also suggest alternatives for you to consider.

Please click on the link below to read the complete Newsweek article:

http://www.newsweek.com/id/170628

The Citron Law Firm, P.A. (www.citronlegal.com) is a civil trial practice law firm that specializes in professional liability and injury cases, commercial and real estate litigation and family law matters.  The Citron Law Firm is located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida at 707 S.E. Third Avenue, Sixth Floor – (954) 712-1686.