Utah Personal Injury Lawyers

With some medical conditions, time is critical. Failing to treat a medical condition can mean the difference between recovery with little or no damage and premature death.

Diagnosing illness is an art, but it's an art based on taking a complete medical history, ordering the right tests, and carefully observing the patient. By following established medical best practices, doctors increase the likelihood that they will be able to diagnose a medical condition correctly.

Cerebral palsy affects dozens of children in our area every year. This disability has a number of causes, only one of which is injury at birth. Because it can have other causes—or no known cause at all—it can be difficult to know when you should suspect medical negligence. You might question whether medical malpractice played a role in your child's cerebral palsy if:

Six to eight of every 1,000 newborns suffer a birth injury involving tissue damage, hemorrhage or fractures, or a brain injury from hypoxia (lack of oxygen). Much of this injury is caused by the natural forces of compression and contraction of the birthing process, but the use of tools to help during delivery—forceps and suction—is also a significant contributor to injuries.

When it comes to prescribing, filling, and administering medication, there are many steps along the way from the doctor to the patient. At each step along the way there are opportunities to check and double check that errors have not been made.

The most important role a nurse plays in a hospital or a nursing home is that of an educated observer. The nurse is in close and frequent contact with the patient and is usually the first person to see a change in a patient's medical condition. By taking the patients vital signs frequently, and reporting them promptly to the physician, the nurse ensures prompt treatment for any developing medical conditions or post-surgical problems.

When surgery is absolutely essential because of a medical problem, the patient and doctor must weight the risks of treatment. When surgery is not strictly necessary, the medical provider has an even greater responsibility. After all, the doctor's first duty is to do no harm.

Losing a loved one is the most difficult thing any of us will experience. We all know it will happen some day, but for your family that tragic loss came far too soon because of the negligent or reckless actions of another person or a company.

Although the safety of medical treatment has improved greatly in recent decades, that's little consolation if you have suffered an injury or a worsening medical condition because standard medical practices weren't followed. The loss of a loved one can leave grieving families struggling for answers from those to whom we entrust our health.