Medical Malpractice

• Pending Texas Case Could Change Malpractice Procedures

  Steve Klearman | October 26, 2007 12:36 PM | 0 CommentsReno, NV

  A pending case in the Texas Supreme Court may reverse a previous reform to medical malpractice suits in the state. This reform places restrictions on pre-trial discovery and postpones discovery until after the defendant gets an expert report confirming negligence. This reform was originally made in order to quell excessive litigation. Many trial lawyers, however, are opposed to such reform...

• AB 133 Changes Health and Dental Insurance Laws

  Steve Klearman | October 10, 2007 12:58 PM | 0 CommentsReno, NV

  Assembly Bill No. 133 dated February 20, 2007 will make some important changes to provisions relating to the status of health and dental insurance policies for patients. Current law allows insurance providers to refuse to pay for claims until the premium on the policy is paid in full by the patient. Amendments to the rules regarding health insurance will require insurance companies to notify...

• AB 385 Changes State Board of Medical Examiner Procedures

  Steve Klearman | October 09, 2007 12:52 PM | 0 CommentsReno, NV

  Assembly Bill number 385 dated March 16, 2007 makes some changes regarding the way the State Board of Medical Examiners oversees the practice of medicine.First, the Board may issue special restricted licenses to graduates of foreign medial schools who want to do research, teach, or practice clinical medicine and the Board may regulate the performance of laser surgery, intense pulsed light...

• Melanoma Rates Continue to Rise

  Steve Klearman | August 13, 2007 8:36 AM | 0 CommentsReno, NV

  This from D. Garth Sullivan, Esq. at Indox Consulting. Mr. Sullivan writes to attorneys every week with news from legal-medical frontiers:The incidence of melanoma has steadily increased in the United States, and from 1995 to 2004, the rate of melanoma rose by more than 1% per year. The rising increase in melanoma is not specific to 1 age group, but the incidence was particularly noted among...

• Relationship Between Low LDL and Cancer

  Steve Klearman | August 01, 2007 7:23 AM | 0 CommentsReno, NV

  This from an email to me yesterday from Indox Consulting. More contradictions in medical research:Results from a new analysis, initially designed to determine whether there was a correlation between the extent to which statins lowered low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol levels and liver and muscle toxicity, suggests that the cardiovascular benefits of achieved levels of LDL cholesterol...

• California Rates Cardiac Surgeons

  Steve Klearman | July 16, 2007 7:43 AM | 1 CommentReno, NV

  This from Garth Sullivan, Esq. at Indox Consulting:For the first time, California consumers can find out how individual cardiac surgeons fare on coronary bypass procedures. In a new report, the state has listed bypass death rates for 121 hospitals and 302 heart surgeons. The data is drawn from adult bypasses performed between Jan. 1, 2003 and Dec. 31, 2004. Hospital fees paid for the $1.5...

• Racism and Low Mammography Rates

  Steve Klearman | June 04, 2007 6:43 AM | 0 CommentsReno, NV

  More African American women die of breast cancer. A recent Yale study found, however, that there was no association was observed between perceived racial discrimination and nonadherence to age-specific mammography screening guidelines.D. Garth Sullivan, from Indox Consulting, expands in a recent mass email:Perceived racial discrimination is not associated with nonadherence to screening...

• New Nevada Law Imposes Liability on Those Who Furnish Alcohol and Drugs

  Steve Klearman | June 03, 2007 1:47 PM | 0 CommentsReno, NV

  SB7, effective October 1, 2007, establishes civil liability for certain acts involving the provision of alcohol and controlled substances.Existing law provides immunity from civil liability to a person who serves or sells an alcoholic beverage to another person for damages caused by an intoxicated person as a result of that service or sale. (NRS 41.1305) Section 2 of this bill limits that...

• Nevada Health Care Providers Must Disclose Interest in Physical Therapy Business

  Steve Klearman | June 01, 2007 1:41 PM | 0 CommentsReno, NV

  Another Nevada legislative session has come and is almost gone.I will report on interesting legislative developments over the next few months.AB 468, effective October 1, 2007, requires providers of health care who refer patients to or recommendphysical therapy to a patient to provide a written disclosure to the patient of any financial interests that the provider of health care has in a...

• Skin Cancer Patient Awarded $5.7 Million

  Steve Klearman | June 01, 2007 1:18 PM | 0 CommentsReno, NV

  NBCSanDiego.com reports that a skin cancer patient was recently awarded $5.7 million in a failure to diagnose case:A Superior Court jury awarded $5.7 million in damages to a bedridden man who claimed a doctor failed to diagnose his skin cancer.The verdict is the largest medical-malpractice award in California this year, but will be cut to $1.9 million under a state statute limiting damages in...