Strategies for Managing Disruptive Behaviors in Health Care Settings

A link to a podcast on “managing” disruptive behavior in a clinic, hospital, or doctors office: We’ll be discussing the role of Behavioral Emergency Response Teams (BERTs), trained in non-violent intervention techniques, in managing disruptive behavior and improving safety for both patients and staff. We’ll also dive into the impact of trauma-informed care (TIC) on […]

‘Kindness’ Isn’t a Priority in Trial Lawyering and It Should Be

When I was coming up as a trial lawyer, I stayed hyper-focused on maintaining a variety of skills during discovery to get at the truth. My Dad used to say, “You need more than one arrow in your quiver.” More often than not, whether in depositions or hearings, combat was the rule of the day. […]

Handling A Punitive Damages Claim in the Setting of Medical Malpractice

An appellate court reversed a punitive damage claim brought against a Hospital only. Where culpable or wanton (criminal) recklessness is alleged, the line between professional employment and misconduct outside the scope of that employment is always at play. Trial lawyers juggle that difficult balance in the most serious cases. Fourth DCA Reverses Punitive Damages Against […]

How Was Your Burns Night?

Burns Night honors the iconic Scottish poet Robert Burns, who wrote the New Year’s Eve anthem Auld Lang Syne. Many Scots host a Burns supper on January 25, the poet’s birthday, although they can be held throughout the year. Some of the suppers can be grand affairs; others less formal. The events will often feature […]

Man Woke Up Midway Through His Spinal Surgery (he thinks)

Though the hospital denies that Dalo woke up during his surgery, the man’s case is emboldened by his wife’s discovery that soon after the procedure, the supervising anesthesiologist had his license suspended. What’s more, the anesthesiologist had apparently been found unconscious on the floor of a bathroom in the hospital with vomit on his scrubs […]

Iatrogenic Injuries

Numerous errors and medicolegal aspects have been identified in diagnosing and treating cardiac tamponade associated with cardiac-related procedures such as valve replacement surgeries, cardiac pacemaker implantation, pericardiocentesis, and other non-cardiac related procedures such as peri-hiatal surgeries. Patients taking anticoagulants or anticancer medications are especially susceptible to developing cardiac tamponade when undergoing surgical procedures, raising the […]