Author: John McKiggan

Woman with Terminal Cancer Sues Doctor for Negligence

by John McKiggan

Sylvie Deslongchamps has terminal cervical cancer. She is suing her family doctor for medical malpractice for failing to make a phone call that she says could have saved her life.

Patient Did What She Was Supposed to Do

In 2007 Ms. Delongchamps did what ever careful woman is supposed to do. She went for a checkup and pap-smear with her gynecologist. She says she told her doctor about her family history of cervical cancer. She never heard back from the doctor so she assumed that her test results were fine.

Distractions & Interruptions Lead to Nursing Errors

by John McKiggan

Distractions Cause Nursing Errors
Nurses who are distracted or interrupted during their medical preparation experience higher levels of medical errors.

I have posted before about how overworking causes errors that lead to medical malpractice.

Overworked Nurses Causing Medication Errors

Patient’s Medical Malpractice Claim against Nurse and Hospital Fails

by John McKiggan

A recent decision from Justice Lococo from the Ontario Superior Court of Justice confirms the difficult odds that injured patients face when pursuing a medical malpractice claim.

Patient Suffered Stroke

In Hasselsjo v. St. Joseph’s Hospital et al, Songja Hasselsjo suffered a stroke. She sued St. Joseph’s Hospital and the nurse that treated her in the emergency department.

Nova Scotia Court of Appeal Denies Injured Patient’s Right to Jury Trial

by John McKiggan

Our Court of Appeal recently released a decision upholding the decision of Justice David MacAdam denying a patient who claimed she was the victim of medical malpractice the right to trial by jury.

In Anderson v. QEII Health Sciences Centre, the plaintiff suffered a brain injury which she claimed was due to negligent medical care.

Patient Wanted Jury

Doctor’s “Error in Judgment” is not Negligence

by John McKiggan

Mistakes May Not Be Negligence

The Ontario Court of Appeal has ruled that a doctor’s “error in judgment” was not evidence of negligence.

Roger Lawrence was admitted to the Welland Hospital as a result of severe stomach pains. The physician treating him concluded that he was suffering from gallbladder colic. The following day the surgeon performed a laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Nurse’s Negligence Caused Child’s Brain Injury

by John McKiggan

Nurse Negligent

In a decision released last week, Justice Tausendfreund has ruled that a nurse at St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital was negligent and that the nurse’s negligence caused catastrophic brain injuries to a baby, Danny Vuong.

Danny’s mother, Ms. Giang was admitted to St. Joseph’s Hospital on June 12, 2991. Her pregnancy had been normal and uneventful.

Nurses Have a Duty to Ensure Doctors Meet the Standard of Care

by John McKiggan

Nurses Duty to Ensure Appropriate Care

A recent decision from Ontario has found that nurses have a duty to ensure patients receive appropriate care from a responsible physician when faced with a medical emergency.

The court found that the duty to ensure that the patient is seen by a appropriate physician exists even when the patient has already been seen by a resident physician.