Practice Areas – Medical

Medical Negligence

Medical malpractice claims are among the most complex, hotly contested, and expensive forms of personal injury litigation. The investigation and proof of such a claim can only be made with the assistance of highly qualified professional consultants in the given field. DawsonBrownPS attorneys have experience handling medical malpractice claims for plaintiffs. We carefully screen all such cases to insure that we undertake only meritorious cases with significant damages. If you feel we could be of assistance to you, we would be happy to discuss your case.

Physicians, like all other health care providers have a duty to provide care to their patients in a reasonably prudent manner. They must also allow their patients to participate in important decisions about their health care, by giving the patient sufficient information about the proposed treatment, risks, and alternatives in order for the patient to give his or her “informed consent” to the proposed treatment. Physicians must meet the standard of care for their particular specialty, and must refer the patient for treatment by other specialists where the patient’s condition requires such care. Where a patient suffers severe harm because the physician has failed to meet these standards, the physician must bear the responsibility for redressing the injury they have caused.

Hospital & Nursing Negligence

Hospitals have the obligation to hire and supervise their employees in such a manner as to insure that the health care provided meets reasonable standards, and to take reasonable steps to insure the safety of patients who receive care at the hospital. Hospitals will often be liable for errors of the nursing staff, and for various services such as radiology, pathology, anesthesia, the pharmacy and emergency room treatment. The hospital may also be liable for inadequate monitoring of patients or for failure to take reasonable steps to avoid birth trauma during delivery.

Chiropractic and Optometrists Negligence

Chiropractors and Optometrists are health care providers who call themselves “Doctor” but who are not actually medical doctors. They do have substantial training in their fields of specialty and provide much needed care to many people every day. They are responsible however for being “reasonably prudent” in the course of the care which they do provide, and they are also charged with the responsibility to recognize when their patients suffer from medical conditions which are outside their fields of treatment specialty. In such cases the Chiropractor or Optometrist must refer the patient to the appropriate medical practitioner for treatment.

When Chiropractors fail to do an adequate examination, or use excessive force, or use an improper manipulation, the patient can suffer harm. The most common forms of serious injury are a herniated disc in the spinal column, or the disruption of an artery which provides blood to the brain. Both conditions result in permanent severe harm.

DawsonBrownPS has experience in cases involving chiropractic and optometry negligence.

Nursing Home Claims

There are many fine nursing homes where competent and caring nursing home care is provided to our parents and grandparents. Occasionally though, nursing homes do not provide reasonable care, and as a result, some of our most vulnerable and valued friends and relatives are harmed. When nursing home negligence or neglect is suspected there are ways to help protect those who must still reside there, compensate for the harm done, and help ensure that such harm does not happen to anyone else.

Drug Liability / Mass Tort

The enormous profits which are generated by popular medications can sometimes induce pharmaceutical manufacturers to rush such drugs to market when they have not been adequately tested, or which may be unreasonably dangerous when taken as prescribed, or in combination with other drugs. When this happens, thousands of individuals around the country can sustain crippling injury and even death. These claims may be brought individually, but will often result in judicial consolidation in the form of Multi-District Litigation (MDL) in one Federal District Court. The claims may also be appropriate for class action treatment, in which case the individual may have to decide whether to present his claim as a member of the class, or to “opt out” and proceed separately. In any event such claims will inevitably involve the presentation of exhaustive technical evidence, which is in turn opposed by a manufacturer with enormous financial and legal resources at their disposal.

A DawsonBrownPS attorney has represented claimants in such mass tort pharmaceutical litigation as Baycol (cholesterol drug), and Ephedra (diet supplement) litigation seeking recovery for life threatening adverse effects and death as a result of ingesting these drugs.

> Baycol Cases
> Ephedral Cases

Class Actions

As with pharmaceutical mass torts, other manufacturing defects may affect large numbers of consumers. This can also be true of careless or intentional business practices which harm many consumers. In appropriate cases, a class action may be necessary to recovery full and fair compensation. attorneys can advise whether a class action form of proceeding is appropriate for your case, and how you should proceed.

Pharmaceutical (Drug) Reactions

DawsonBrownPS attorneys have experience with Pharmaceutical (Drug) Reactions claims.