Columbus Legal Blog

Your doctor should be looking out for your infant's safety

On behalf of Leeseberg & Valentine on Friday, July 19, 2019.

When you entrust your health to a licensed Ohio obstetrician, you can reasonably expect him or her to carefully monitor your pregnancy and to make educated decisions to help keep you and your baby as safe as possible all the way through labor and delivery, as well as post-natal care. You will likely encounter numerous challenges during pregnancy; however, many issues are quite common, such as nausea, weight gain, fatigue and emotional fragility.

Even if you think you're experiencing a common side effect of pregnancy, it's always best to share information with your OB so he or she can confirm that you and your baby are in good health. On the other hand, if you share a concern and your doctor thinks there might be a problem, he or she can determine a best course of action to rectify the situation. Sadly, not all doctors do their jobs well; serious birth injuries can occur because of medical negligence.

Ohio roadways can be dangerous: Beware of distracted drivers

On behalf of Leeseberg & Valentine on Friday, July 5, 2019.

You might be one of many people in Columbus or surrounding Ohio regions who drive a car to and from work each day. Even if that's not the case, if you're a licensed driver, you no doubt get behind the wheel at least several times per week. Long ago, many people enjoyed driving; in fact, it was common to take leisurely drives for no particular reason.

Nowadays, the risk for collision is so much higher that driving can make you feel like you're placing your life at stake, and in some situations, you might actually be. Do you know how to recognize signs of potential danger on the road, such as if a distracted driver is traveling near you? It's easy to become distracted while driving. If you know what to watch out for, you increase your chances of avoiding collision.

LV Attorneys and Clients Featured in Recent 10TV Piece

By Leeseberg & Valentine posted in Firm News on Friday, June 28, 2019.

Earlier this week, 10TV reporter Bennett Haeberle and the 10 Investigates Team published "Deadly Dosage: The Doctor Husel Chronicles," which provides a fantastic overview of what we know about the Mount Carmel cases thus far. The videos feature LV attorneys Gerry Leeseberg and Craig Tuttle, as well as several of our clients.

Substandard care might cause you or your child to suffer injury

On behalf of Leeseberg & Valentine on Thursday, June 20, 2019.

Having a baby in an Ohio hospital can be both exciting and stressful. If this is your first go-around, you might be reading all you can get your hands on about what to expect in pregnancy, labor and delivery. Then again, you might be one of those people who think you're better off not knowing too much, else you might worry over every little issue.

That's where your medical team comes in. Their job is to keep a close watch on you and your baby to keep you both as safe as possible. If an issue raises concern , your doctor and other medical team members will know what to do to help you overcome the problem, perhaps through specialized treatment or an urgent decision, such as doing a C-section delivery. If your doctor, nurse or other staff member is negligent, you or your child might suffer serious injury.

Medical malpractice: Did your surgeon fail in his or her duty?

On behalf of Leeseberg & Valentine on Friday, June 7, 2019.

No one in Ohio or elsewhere likes to think about needing surgery. If you're preparing for an upcoming procedure or are still recovering from a recent operation, such thoughts are likely front and center in your mind. Perhaps you're the parent of a child who needs or has undergone a recent surgery. In either case, while an entire medical team works together to tend to patient needs, the surgeon is head of operations.

Sadly, many surgeons fail in their duties to protect patients from injury. Medical neglect is problematic in this state and across the country. It's important to understand the role your surgeon plays in making sure you stay safe before, during and after surgery. Patients who suffer injury or illness because their surgeons did not fulfill fiduciary duties may have grounds to seek monetary judgments against those deemed responsible for damages.

Former Client Featured in USA Today to Promote Maternal Safety

By Leeseberg & Valentine posted in Birth injuries on Wednesday, May 22, 2019.

USA Today recently published an article featuring a former client as part of their "Deadly Deliveries" series detailing their investigation into maternal safety and childbirth complications in the United States. Leeseberg & Valentine represented Emilee Strezinski after she suffered complications while delivering her daughter at Community Memorial Hospital in Hicksville, Ohio. During her delivery, her doctor decided to do an episiotomy, a surgical cut to the vagina during childbirth, that resulted in severe lacerations to her rectum, anus, and sphincter and caused significant pain, leakage, constipation, and incontinence. Emilee alleged her physician was negligent in performing the episitomy and Leeseberg & Valentine was ultimately able to secure a significant settlement on her behalf.

Are you at risk for a medication error in an Ohio hospital?

On behalf of Leeseberg & Valentine on Wednesday, May 22, 2019.

Having to stay in the hospital, even for one day, can be stressful and upsetting. If you're scheduled for surgery in an Ohio hospital or you wound up in admittance because of an urgent circumstance such as a car accident injury, you will no doubt be depending on an entire team of licensed medical professionals to help you get well.

While not every person in the hospital has surgery, most people receive some type of care from nurses while they are patients. Regardless of the details that landed you in a hospital bed, if you receive medication while you're there, you're at risk for injury. Although accepted safety standards and regulations help keep you safe, nurses often make medication errors. Knowing where to seek support if a problem arises is a high priority for all hospital patients.

Things that should never happen in Ohio hospitals

On behalf of Leeseberg & Valentine on Thursday, May 9, 2019.

Ohio hospitals are often busy, chaotic places, especially in emergency rooms. If you suffer an injury or schedule a surgical procedure, you may wind up spending a lot more time in the hospital than you'd ever prefer to do. When you need hospital care, you typically interact with numerous licensed medical professionals while you're there. Especially if you are having surgery, you will likely be in frequent contact with your own doctor, your surgeon and a whole team of nurses and other medical workers.

During the course of a hospital stay, any number of things can go wrong that place you at risk for injury. Some situations might not be anyone's fault. Sadly, however, many hospital injury incidents are completely preventable, and happen only because someone was negligent.

How to identify a case of sepsis after a surgical procedure

On behalf of Leeseberg & Valentine on Thursday, April 18, 2019.

You knew before you went into surgery that one of the risks was infection. You expected the medical staff surrounding you to watch for the signs. If you did contract an infection, you expected them to identify and treat it quickly.

If that didn't happen, you may experience other symptoms. These warning signs could mean that you now suffer from sepsis, which if left unchecked could threaten your life.

Pregnancy complications that warrant action from your doctor

On behalf of Leeseberg & Valentine on Friday, April 5, 2019.

When you're pregnant, your doctor or midwife has a fiduciary duty to closely observe your and your baby's conditions to help you both stay as safe as possible so that you will have a healthy labor and delivery. If a health concern arises, your Ohio care provider is responsible for properly diagnosing your condition and taking whatever measures are necessary, according to accepted safety standards, to help you rectify the situation.

There are certain health conditions that may not go away until your baby is born. In such circumstances, your care provider must keep a careful watch on both you and your baby. Mothers and babies are at great risk for injury if a medical team member is negligent.