The attorneys at Leeseberg & Valentine held a press conference today to discuss the cases against Mount Carmel and Dr. Husel. LV has been contacted by by 12 of the 27 victims that were contacted by Mount Carmel, but we have also received calls from a number of other families who suspect their loved ones may have also been victims. "This may be the tip of the iceberg and the size is unknown" said Gerry Leeseberg during the press conference. The attorneys were joined by Christine Allison, whose husband was one of the 27 victims.
Gerry Leeseberg Featured on 10TV News for Mount Carmel Lawsuit
Lawsuit Filed Against Mt. Carmel Physician for Giving Lethal Doses of Fentanyl
The attorneys at Leeseberg & Valentine filed a wrongful death lawsuit earlier today against Mount Carmel Health System and Dr. William Husel, as well as a pharmacist and a nurse, alleging they intentionally administered a lethal dose of the narcotic Fentanyl to Janet Kavanaugh, who died on December 11, 2017 at the age of 79. According to a medical expert, who signed an affidavit of merit filed with the Complaint, the amount of Fentanyl prescribed and given to Ms. Kavanaugh was grossly inappropriate and excessive, and was intentionally prescribed by Defendant Husel for the purposes of hastening the termination of Janet Kavanaugh's life.
LV Attorneys Win Louisville Slugger Award
The opioid epidemic and medical malpractice claims
Most people, whether here in Ohio or elsewhere, know about the opioid epidemic gripping the country. Reportedly, one of the primary reasons for the high number of addictions and overdoses was the fact that doctors overprescribed the medications. Pharmaceutical companies told everyone they were safe, but some doctors had to know the truth -- opioids are highly addictive.
You may go to a doctor for treatment of an injury or a surgical procedure and leave with a prescription for an opioid for the pain. In some cases, it wouldn't take long for addiction to take hold. Even if it took others more time, the results were the same. The question then becomes whether doctors could have done more to protect their patients. This is a question still asked today.
Preventable medical errors that shouldn't happen but do
When you enter an Ohio hospital for medical treatment, you can reasonably expect that any and all licensed caregivers will act according to the highest level of accepted standards to keep you safe. Many procedures or treatments involve risk, and it's up to your doctor to make sure you are aware of such issues.
It's another story altogether if your doctor knows that you are at risk for injury and does not tell you or if he or she fails to keep you safe because of his or her own negligent behavior. The more you know about medical errors ahead of time, the more proactive you can be by asking questions and closely observing what is happening in connection with your care. If a doctor, nurse, practitioner or other staff member does something or fails to do something that results in your injury, Ohio law allows you to seek justice.
Your surgeon should prevent retained surgical object errors
When you undergo surgery at an Ohio hospital, especially if the procedure you're having necessitates general anesthesia, you are fully entrusting your safety and well-being to the surgical team assigned to your care. Before surgery, your doctor hopefully had at least one, if not several, discussions with you to explain the intended procedure and to talk about any and all risks known to be associated with it. Some risks may be more likely to occur than others.
However, some situations are basically entirely preventable, provided your surgeon and other team members act according to accepted safety standards and surgical protocol. Sadly, this isn't always the case, as made evident by thousands of injuries that occur every year that happened solely because of medical negligence. One of the most common surgical errors is retained foreign object injury. In simple terms: Your doctor leaves something inside your body by accident.
Call the Midwife? Read this first
The use of midwives during the labor and delivery process is becoming more common. The Columbus Dispatch published a great story on the issue over the weekend where it highlighted the rising popularity of using midwives and the dangers associated with it. Here are a few highlights from the article:
Did you or your baby suffer because of pre-eclampsia?
Having a baby can be one of the most exciting and rewarding, yet worrisome, experiences of your life. If it is the first time you've been pregnant, you may be anxious, not knowing quite what to expect. Even if you already have several children, every pregnancy and birth is unique, so issues you face with one situation might not even be present in another.
The type of support you have during pregnancy and when you give birth often has a significant impact on your overall experience. For instance, your doctor helps keep you and your baby (or babies) safe by properly diagnosing and reacting to any problematic issues that arise. Conversely, your doctor may cause you or your child to suffer serious injury if he or she is negligent.
Your doctor is accountable for his or her medical diagnosis
Even if you have some type of medical background, there is no expectation you will be able to properly diagnose yourself. That is part of a licensed medical doctor's job. When you seek medical examination because you are not feeling well, it is reasonable that you expect your doctor to be able to figure out the underlying cause of your ill health.
If, for some reason, your doctor feels that your condition is beyond his or her scope of ability, he or she may be able to recommend another means of medical support to help you obtain a correct diagnosis. What happens, however, if your doctor makes a diagnosis and it winds up being wrong? What if you suffer worse health because of it? Sadly, some Ohio medical patients have died when their doctors failed to properly diagnose their conditions.
