Saved by the Statute of Limitations
Keeping accurate notes that reflect each time a test, procedure, or referral is recommended and then refused by a patient helps protect clinicians from malpractice claims.
Legal Advisor
Overlooked Results and Poor Follow-up Delay Diagnosis
Faulty memory, incomplete notes, a broken computer system, and poor-follow-up all lead to a 2-year delay in a cancer diagnosis.
An Issue of a Missed Diagnosis
Three trips to the emergency department failed to diagnose compartment syndrome in a young boy following a trampoline injury.
Privacy Violation Without a HIPAA Breach
Remotely accessing patients’ protected health information puts a nurse in a precarious position.
A Case of Negligence and Miscommunication
A physician assistant is concerned about a patient’s injury but does not seek the advice of her supervising physician.
Multiple Medical Errors and Negligence
A series of medical errors and negligence that occurred in a nursing home lead to an elderly man’s death.
A Case of False Imprisonment
Failure to document a telephone call leads to a lawsuit alleging false imprisonment in a mental health case.
Nurse Fired After Reporting Improper Narcotic Storage
A nurse was terminated for reporting improper medication storage practices.
Social Media Post Prompts Firing
An RN’s post online violates a patient’s privacy, and she is fired.
Nurse’s Documentation Wins Case for Hospital
An RN’s careful note-taking protects hospital from liability.
Clinician Testimony in a Rape Case
Can a nurse practitioner’s testimony be used to convict an accused rapist after the victim changes her story?
To Question, or Not to Question Your Supervisor’s Diagnosis
A nurse practitioner disagrees with her supervisor over a diagnosis but fails to voice her opinion, leading to misdiagnosis and a subsequent above-the-knee amputation.
Fired for Refusing a Flu Shot
A nurse practitioner sues her former employer after being fired for refusing to get a flu shot.
Alleged HIPAA Violation or Termination for Taking FMLA?
A court must choose whether to accept a hospital’s explanation that a nurse was fired for violating HIPAA or let a jury decide whether the hospital’s action was merely a pretext for firing the nurse for taking advantage of FMLA.
Could a Tragic Death Following Hospital Discharge Have Been Avoided?
A recently discharge patient dies in a tragic fire, and the hospital and treating clinicians are subsequently named in a lawsuit.
Communicating Care via Fax: NP Faulted for Negligence
Use of a fax machine and lack of a timely response resulted in the demise of a patient and an accusation of gross negligence.
Is Clinician Testimony Allowable in a Sexual Assault Trial?
A nurse practitioner working in the safe child center of the outpatient pediatric wing of a regional hospital is called to testify in an abuse case.
HIPAA Violation Derails NP’s Career
A HIPAA violation harms the successful career of a healthcare provider and causes problems for her former and current employers.
A Case of Wrongful Termination?
A clinician quits her job but afterward sues for wrongful termination.
Patient Test Results Never Received
A clinician fails to follow up after ordering diagnostic tests for a patient.
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