Maryland Medical Malpractice Attorneys | Rising Health Care Costs

Visit us at:  www.portnerandshure.com

or call to speak with one of our experienced Maryland medical malpractice attorneys at (301) 854-9000 for a free consultation.

Insurance Company Compiling List of Efficient Doctors to Save Members Money

CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield CEO Chet Burrell announced earlier this week he wants to award members discounts for picking efficient doctors.  The insurer plans to begin keeping track of which doctors are most efficient in its physician directory as soon as 2016.  Then, when members choose a doctor that is on this list, they could receive a discount on their premium.  The goal of this plan is to help slow rising health care costs. 

CareFirst also uses the Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) program for more efficient and cost effective medical service.  In this program, a group of doctors "work together to treat patients with a goal of reducing unnecessary and improving the patients' overall health."  Further, if patients' health care costs come in under budget, the doctors get to share in some of CareFirst's savings.

Both of CareFirst's programs (Efficient Doctors Database and PCMH) can be extremely beneficial for our medical malpractice clients in Maryland.  With the possibility of saving money on insurance premiums, our clients can be persuaded to choose efficient doctors, thereby avoiding any potential medical malpractice claims.  A major cause of medical malpractice claims involves doctors who run unnecessary tests or do not run correct tests to help diagnose a patient and the patient gets more sick or injured in some way. 

Medical malpractice occurs when a healthcare provider causes injury or death to a patient by failing to act within the applicable standard of care.  Many Maryland patients who enter surgery like to believe they have entrusted their life in the hands of a capable and careful surgeon.  Unfortunately, surgical errors are more common than one would like to believe.  In order to prove malpractice, there had to have been a breach of the standard of care and/or a failure to obtain informed consent. 

The experienced medical malpractice attorneys at Portner & Shure possess excellent knowledge, in addition to being familiar with the health care profession and standards of treatment.  In fact, Mr. Shure worked as in-house counsel for a national health care corporation and uses the knowledge he gained to help persuade insurance companies to provide our injured clients with benefits they are entitled to receive.

In every case we handle, our attorneys and staff work with numerous physicians and other experts to strengthen our claims.  There are many factors that impact the value of a medical malpractice claim.  It is important that your attorney understands how to properly evaluate damages in order to determine the full value of a claim and build a strong case for the jury.  Common damages for medical malpractice cases include:

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  medical expenses

  
  


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  lost wages

  
  


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  pain and suffering

  
  


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  loss of consortium

  
  


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  wrongful death

  
  

Surgical errors can cause serious harm to a patient, and if an injury of surgical error was caused through medical malpractice in Maryland, an experienced attorney from Portner & Shure can help you get the compensation you are entitled.

If you or a family member is the victim of an injury caused by medical malpractice in Maryland, an experienced attorney from Portner & Shure can help you get the compensation you are entitled.  If you would like a free legal consultation or if you would like more information on medical malpractice in Maryland, please feel free to contact our office at (301) 854-9000 or visit us on the web at www.portnerandshure.com

For those readers interested in reading the article, the link can found below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/news/2014/10/29/carefirst-wants-to-give-discounts-to-members-who.html

 

 

Maryland Medical Malpractice Lawyer | Top Court Decides

Visit us at:  www.portnerandshure.com

or call to speak with one of our experienced Maryland medical malpractice attorneys at (301) 854-9000 for a free consultation.

Earlier this month, the Maryland Court of Appeals heard oral argumens in the Wicomico County case of Ginneene Williams v. Peninsula Regional Medical Center.  Maryland's highest court is "tasked with determining whether medical professionals are immune from liability if they decide not to admit a patient after an evaluation."

The basic facts of this case involve Ms. Williams taking her son to Peninsula Regional Medical Center in 2009 because of strange behavior.  The hospital released him, and he subsequently went to a restaurant where he continued to act strange.  Later, he broke into a home and Salisbury police shot Mr. Williams fifteen times after he charged at the officers with a knife and told them to shoot him.  The Wicomico County Circuit Court held that the wrongful death lawsuit brought by the family be dismissed.  The Court of Special Appeals upheld the Circuit Court's ruling.  This will be the first time the Court of Appeals interprets the statute in question.

During oral arguments, Court of Appeals Judge Sally D. Adkins posed the following question: "why legislation would provide doctors with immunity to admit patients but not for determining not to admit them?"  Judge Adkins followed that up by commenting, "[i]n that case...if doctors were to have any doubt, they would admit the patient."  It will certainly be interesting to see how the Court rules in this matter, and depending on how they rule, our future medical malpractice clients could be affected.

If you or a family member is the victim of an injury caused by medical malpractice in Maryland, an experienced attorney from Portner & Shure can help you get the compensation you are entitled.  If you would like a free legal consultation or if you would like more information on medical malpractice in Maryland, please feel free to contact our office at (301) 854-9000 or visit us on the web at www.portnerandshure.com

Howard County Automobile Accident Attorney

If you are involved in an automobile accident in Howard County, you need access to an attorney who knows the local courts and has considerable past personal injury experience. You need to be assured that when you hire your Howard County personal injury law firm, you are in competent, experienced and qualified hands. In your search for the right Howard County accident attorney, your research will have been a success if you call attorney, Jon Portner, Richard Shure, Kevin Ruby or Nick Parr at Portner & Shure.

The auto accident Team at Portner & Shure understands that the best auto accident case results aren't just earned in the courtroom. In order to succeed, a proper investigation must be conducted in the early stages of the process including a thorough case review and discovery. Our personal injury legal team has a desire to win and does not back down to the Howard County insurance defense attorneys, unlike some other personal injury law firms in Howard County. We prepare extensively for automobile accident cases and treat these cases with the utmost importance. A strong desire to win and exceptional preparation have enabled us to obtain an excellent track record in the Howard County District Court and the Howard County Circuit Court.

Our reputation in Howard County places us at or near the top among our peers in both settling and trying auto accident cases. A respectable personal injury litigation firm must excel at both. Combined Mr. Portner and Mr. Shure have negotiated and/or tried thousands of automobile accident cases throughout Maryland. Mr. Portner has considerable experience and a proven track record in Howard County District and Circuit Court.

In an attempt to be the best automobile accident attorneys in Howard County, the personal injury team at Portner & Shure constantly works to improve their knowledge in the personal injury arena and educates others. In this regard, Mr. Portner and Mr. Parr have researched and written numerous blogs concerning case values, tendencies of insurance companies, jurisdictional analysis, and litigation strategy.

The passion of that our automobile accident trial team displays in and out of the courtroom, as well as our advocacy experience and belief in our clients, has enabled us to convince judges, juries, and even insurance companies' attorneys to see the case from our prospective. Call Portner & Shure for your Howard County automobile accident representation, and experience our winning team's passion, experience and talent. Portner & Shure handles Howard County automobile accident cases throughout the county including, Columbia, Ellicott City, Clarksville, Fulton, Laurel, Glenelg, Jessup, and Sykesville.

What Is the Difference in Maryland Between a Survival and a Wrongful Death Action?

When an automobile accident, truck accident or doctor's negligence results in a fatality there are two separate claims that can be made on behalf of the victim's family and estate. A Maryland wrongful death attorney can bring a wrongful death action. This type of claim is brought by the immediate relatives of the victim. In a wrongful death claim the family seeks to recover for their losses resulting from the accidental death of a loved one. A Maryland personal injury lawyer can also bring what is called a survival action on behalf of the victim's estate. A survival action claims recovery for the injuries suffered by the decedent including the pain and suffering and other damages and actual expenses incurred by the victim up until the time of death.

In a wrongful death action in Maryland, the amount immediate family members can recover is determined by the emotional and financial harm they experienced as a result of their loss. In a wrongful death case the estate of the decedent is not involved and the family members of the victim are acting entirely on their own behalf. In a survival action in Maryland, the amount the decedent's estate can recover is determined by the harm to the actual victim. The representative of the estate brings the lawsuit on behalf of the decedent.

The Maryland personal injury attorneys and Maryland wrongful death lawyers at Portner & Shure are experienced in handling these types of lawsuits. Our attorneys balance professionalism, aggressiveness and compassion when we represent client's who have lost a loved one.

Harford County Jury Awards $3.5 Million in Medical Malpractice Claim

On May 13, 2010, after 12 days of testimony, a Harford County jury awarded Victoria B. Little of Belcamp, Maryland more than $3.5 million in damages against Dr. Mark Gonze and Dr. Roger Schneider of Vascular Surgery Associates, LLC in Bel Air, Maryland.

Ms. Little, a longtime resident of Harford County presented to Upper Chesapeake Medical Center for an aortobifemoral bypass due to blockage in her aorta.  The procedure, if done properly would have bypassed the blockage and restored blood flow to her legs.  Instead, Ms. Little during the procedure lost over 5,100 milliliters of blood, which is more than her total blood volume in her body.  As a result she suffered a prolonged period of low blood pressure and loss of oxygen to her tissues and organs, that led to a spinal cord injury.  Due to the negligence of both doctors, Ms. Little is now confined to a wheelchair and will never be able to walk again.  

The Honorable Stephen M. Waldron, who presided over the two week trial, indicated he has not heard of a bigger award in Harford County, Maryland.  Unfortunately, Maryland puts caps on pain and suffering and it is estimated that the maximum amount Ms. Little will receive is $680,000.00.

If you, a family member, or someone you know has sustained a serious and permanent injury as the result of medical negligence, please contact Portner & Shure and speak with one of our Maryland medical malpractice lawyers for a free consultation.  

Cerebral Palsy: Was My Child's Condition Caused by Medical Negligence?

Learning that a newborn child has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy is one of the greatest fears of expecting parents.  A diagnosis of cerebral palsy often means that a child could suffer from a number of potentially crippling disabilities, including muscular deformity, involuntary movement, seizures, speech disorders and mental retardation for the rest of their lives.  Although a specific cause of cerebral palsy has not been pinpointed, the general consensus is that cerebral palsy is brought on by some form of injury to the brain of the infant before, during, or shortly after birth.  Fortunately for those that suffer from cerebral palsy and their parents, awards in cerebral palsy cases are usually substantial because of the long term effect of the condition and the high cost of medical care associated with the disorder. 

In Frederick County, a jury recently yielded an award of close to 4 million dollars to the family of a child diagnosed with cerebral palsy after birth.  In this case, the mother, who was 8 months pregnant at the time, began to complain of severe and persistent pain and vomiting.  After alternative treatments were attempted, the child was born via cesarean section hours after the mother's complaints.  Upon birth, the child demonstrated signs of oxygen depravation to the brain, which is commonly associated with cerebral palsy.  At trial, the family alleged that the failure of the attending physicians to properly evaluate, diagnose and treat the mother was the cause of the child's cerebral palsy.  The jury agreed with the family, and rendered an award of nearly 4 million dollars for past and future medical expenses, future lost income and noneconomic damages. 

If your child has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy, a number of factors may indicate that the condition has been caused or facilitated by medical negligence.  Common indicators of medical negligence shown shortly after birth are if a child is under-oxygenated or has bluish skin, seizures, trouble breathing,  or an abnormal fluxuation of body temperature.  Use of vacuum extraction or heart rate abnormalities are also indicators of medical negligence.  Other factors that could indicate medical negligence are whether the attending physicians addressed changes in the condition of the pregnant mother, whether physicians addressed changes in the condition of the fetus, whether a cesarean section was ordered in a timely manner, and whether there is a family history of brain damage. 

If you or your child suffers from cerebral palsy and you believe that the condition was a result of medical negligence, you should contact an attorney immediately.  The attorneys at Portner & Shure have many years of experience providing aggressive representation for the victims of cerebral palsy and their families and currently practice in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia.