Sacramento Injury Attorney Blog

Now that Conrad Murray has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter, the Jackson family is focusing its efforts on civil liability. Reports indicate that the family has filed wrongful death lawsuits against both Murray and AEG Live, LLC, the entertainment firm responsible for Jackson's "This Is It Tour."

When an individual dies as the result of another's negligent or wrongful conduct, the surviving family members may bring a wrongful death lawsuit against the responsible parties. A wrongful death action can arise in any type of personal injury action, including car accidents, work related accidents and medical malpractice. To determine whether you may be able to bring a wrongful death claim, it is important to speak to an experienced Sacramento wrongful death attorney.

Here, the family asserts two claims. First, that Dr. Murray was negligent in causing Michael Jackson's death by administering propofol on an outpatient basis. A jury only needs to find that there was a 50% probability that Murray was negligent to determine Murray was at fault and liable for damages. Under California law, his conviction in the criminal case may be used as "conclusive proof" of responsibility.

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According to the Silicon Valley Mercury News, a military veteran has resolved his medical negligence claim against a Northern California Veterans Administration hospital for $250,000. David W. Woodward Sr. alleged that he became legally blind as the result of negligent care he received at the hospital.

Woodward is one of eight patients who were treated for eye problems at the Palo Alto hospital, only to be informed later that improper care may have caused their loss of vision.

Medical malpractice occurs where a medical professional's inadequate, negligent or reckless conduct causes harm. When doctors, nurses or other hospital staff fail to provide the standard of care required, they may be found negligent and required to compensate patients for their injuries. Here, Woodward was informed by the hospital's chief of staff that his glaucoma may have been prevented if his eye treatment had been overseen and reviewed by an eye care specialist.

Although physicians and other health care professionals cannot guarantee results, when we go to the doctor we expect to be treated adequate care and skill. Here, although the government did not admit responsibility the chief of staff revealed there may have been "improper care."

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According to the SanFrancisco Chronicle, avoidable medical mistakes are on the rise in the Bay Area and throughout California.

A recent report entitled "Events that a never supposed to happen in state hospitals," spells out in frightening detail the frequency of "never" events - i.e. things that are never supposed to happen in California hospitals.

For example, just last year California hospitals reported close to 200 cases of foreign objects left in patents after surgery. At San Francisco General, a 4-by-8-inch piece of surgical sponge was left inside a patient after an eight-hour surgery. The patient had to undergo additional surgeries just to correct the physician's error.

Other alarming statistics include a 100% increase in surgeries performed on the wrong patient, a 78% increase in bedsores acquired after admission, a 36% increase in deaths associated with a fall and a whopping 131% increase in sexual assaults on patients.

Recent studies have shown safety measures are the key to reducing California medical malpractice.

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