Hawaii Injury Lawyer Blog

KHON2 News reports that the violent collision this past weekend during a football game has brought to light the dangers of concussions and other brain injuries resulting from accidents. The incident occurred Friday night after a Damien Memorial School quarterback, Alan Mohika, and another player crashed head-to-head into each other. Although Mohika initially appeared okay, he subsequently lost consciousness and stopped breathing. According to Honolulu news, Mohika remains in the hospital, recovering from the brain injury.

Traumatic brain injuries have gotten a lot of attention lately as awareness has increased about both the subtlety of symptoms related to TBIs – making them more difficult to diagnose – and the long term complications. TBIs not only occur in sports accidents, but also are common results of car accidents, Shaken Baby Syndrome, or violence.

Many times, the fact that a concussion or TBI has occurred is unclear because symptoms may not appear immediately or may not be recognized. As stated in the article citing a local trauma expert, TBIs are really a “time critical injury…[t]he clock is ticking and the longer one waits to recognize it and treat it the worse the outcome can be.” Symptoms include mood swings, impaired memory, difficulty concentrating, dizziness and headaches. Long-term effects may also include difficulty with cognitive function and managing daily life. In certain cases, a person may be so impaired as to need full time care.

Continue reading " Football Game Collision Highlights Increased Concern About Long Term Risks From Hawaii Traumatic Brain Injuries " »

The Associate Press reveals that some of Hawaii’s biggest hospitals have decided to electronically share patient records in an effort to improve patient safety and reduce medical errors. The Hawaii Pacific Health group and Queens Medical Center announced their decision to work together this past Wednesday.

In joining efforts – especially when critically ill patients come to the emergency room - Dr. William Sandusky from Straub Medical clinic notes physicians will have "immediate access to patient medical records enables his team to see medical histories, lab results and medications.” By providing doctors this crucial information, they can determine appropriate medical treatment.

In fact, many studies reveal having sufficient information on hand reduces the chances of medical errors and decreases the likelihood that doctors will fail to diagnose medical conditions when they visit hospitals for critical care. Recently, U.S. News & World Report also noted the importance of bringing electronic medical records (EMRs) to physicians’ offices and hospitals.

However, despite generally recognized benefits of EMRs, some problems exists in getting the systems up and running, such as costs involved and the need of doctors to spend a significant number of hours to learn the new system. An additional study in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that although EMRs made doctors more likely to offer tests in certain areas such as routine measures of blood pressure, they were less likely to discuss other issues such as treating depression.

Alternatively, a study in the American Journal of Managed Care found that EMRs can lead to a higher level of care where interactive features exists, such as email reminders to patients.

Continue reading " Hawaii Hospitals To Share Documents Electronically In Order To Reduce Medical Errors " »

News reports that the U.S. government has paid the spouse of an Air Force sergeant $7.5 million as the result of a medical malpractice lawsuit. The federal appeals court upheld the 2008 verdict by the Guam district court in March. The court determined the amount was not excessive based on the extent of injuries the woman sustained at Anderson Air Force Base clinic.

Here, the woman suffered a herniated spinal disc and went to the clinic. She complained of numbness in her groin, legs and feet several times. However, the medical staff failed to diagnose her condition. Both and nurse and doctor’s assistant failed to perform basic medical tests, did not report the case to supervisors and misdiagnosed the woman’s condition. The woman needed emergency surgery in Hawaii, and still suffers nerve damage as the result of the medical malpractice.

Obtaining an appropriate diagnosis it critical to receive appropriate treatment. When health care providers fail to diagnose a particular medical problem, he or she may have committed malpractice. As a result, the health care provider may be liable for the damages caused by committing medical malpractice.

Although active duty service members may not bring medical malpractice lawsuits due to the Feres Doctrine, which shields government from liability, military dependents may bring medical negligence lawsuits in civil court.

Continue reading " $7.5 Million To Victim Of Medical Malpractice " »

A recent brain injury study reports that within three months of sustaining a traumatic brain injury (TBI), an individual’s risk of stroke may increase by 10.

TBIs typically result from blunt force trauma to the head – often associated with car accidents, birth trauma, war injuries, and recently receiving significant attention, sports’ injuries. The number of people affected by TBIs is alarming – in the U.S. about one in 53 people suffers a TBI each year – and many times the condition goes undetected and untreated. TBI injuries are characterized by short-term memory loss, confusion, personality changes, decreased motor functioning, dizziness and even an inability to perform the tasks of daily living.

In many cases, a brain injury could have been prevented and may be the result of the carelessness or recklessness of another. In those instances it may be possible to recover compensation to pay for damages suffered.

The current study reports that not only do individuals harmed face cognitive and motor delays, but that the risk of stroke increases 10-fold within the first 3 years post injury. The risk diminishes with time, but still remains 2.3 times greater for patients who had suffered a TBI after 5 years than those who had not.

Continue reading " Traumatic Brain Injury Linked With Increased Risk Of Stroke " »