Terry S. Nelson, P.A.
Dean Street Court
1404 Dean Street Court, Suite 201
Fort Myers, FL 33901
Fort Myers Phone: 239-334-1789
Port Charlotte Phone: 941-625-3477
Naples Phone: 239-775-8282
Fax: (239) 931-9997
It happens too often: birth injuries to babies born in hospitals in the Fort Myers area and elsewhere. Now the American Academy of Pediatrics say those devastating injuries and newborn deaths are even more likely to happen when a woman gives birth in her home.
The organization recently issued a new policy that says planned home deliveries should have the same level of care for the newborn that would be received in a birthing center or hospital.
Florida's House recently gave its approval to a bill that critics say will make it more difficult for victims of medical malpractice to receive compensation for their injuries, medical expenses and other damages.
The House's 77-38 vote sends the bill to Gov. Rick Scott, in what is considered a victory for medical industry lobbyists.
Many Fort Myers readers will not be surprised to learn that diagnostic errors are "the most frequent, most severe, and most costly of medical mistakes," according to a new study.
Among diagnostic errors are failures to diagnose, misdiagnosis and delayed diagnosis, researchers said.
Regular readers of our Fort Myers medical malpractice blog understand that when a court orders substantial compensation to a plaintiff in a case, it's because that plaintiff has been significantly harmed.
That's again the case in a matter involving the widow of a man who died on Christmas day of 2008 of a severe gallbladder infection after a surgeon had repeatedly delayed removing the man's gallbladder.
Leonardo da Vinci's name has been appropriated for everything from thrillers to movies and restaurants - and even robotic surgical systems.
Now there are troubling signs that the da Vinci surgical systems might be linked to surgical errors resulting in injuries and even deaths.
The tragic story of a 41-year-old mom who died recently will undoubtedly resonate with those in Fort Myers who have been injured by a doctor's failure to diagnose a serious medical condition.
In the case of the 41-year-old, doctors failed to notice a two-centimeter nodule on her chest X-rays. The cancer grew and spread. When doctors discovered the mass in more recent X-rays, she was given six months to live -- a prognosis that proved to be too optimistic.
Far from Fort Myers, a nursing home has been fined $100,000 for its role in the death of a patient who was overmedicated.
Last week, the California's Department of Public Health issued its strongest citation against the nursing home accused of neglect in the death of an 82-year-old resident in 2011.
A medical board far from Florida has leveled serious accusations of negligence and incompetence against a surgeon in his care for 10 patients.
The Bakersfield vascular surgeon is guilty of "an extreme departure" from standard care, the California medical board says.
Like everyone else, doctors are pressed for time in this busy world. That can mean truncated office visits and one-sided doctor-patient in which the physician eager to get to their next appointment does most of the talking.
A new study says the lack of clear two-way communication between patients and their doctors can lead to a failure to diagnose, medical errors and medical malpractice.
Male breast cancer isn't something most Fort Myers doctors see every day. Because breast cancer is rare among men, experts say it's more likely for doctors to fail to diagnose it.
Unfortunately, the rarity of the ailment also means it's more likely that a man will ignore symptoms and be diagnosed at a later stage of cancer development as a result.
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